First Words
by Vaultpopsicle
Summary: Follows Piper and M!SS as they fall for each other in the wasteland. Nate deals with the loss of his wife and son and struggles with his guilt of a budding romance.
1. Chapter 1

POV: Nate

Cold. I was so fucking cold.

I sat on the couch in my house… or what used to be my house. Codsworth had brought me a tattered blanket and I quickly wrapped it around me, pulling it so tightly against my skin one might think I was trying to absorb the scrap of cloth into my being. After leaving vault 111 I had frantically looked around. Looked for anyone or anything that seemed familiar. I turned quickly to see Sanctuary. The place I had once called home, now nothing more than ruins.

I didn't bother to head back down the path I ran nearly 200 years before to the vault. No, when I saw the wreckage of my old life I chaotically scrambled down the hill, scraping my hands in the process. I knew there was a bridge not even a few feet away from me to cross the small stream, but I disregarded the fact; not wanting to waste time with such trivial things. Unfortunately, I clumsily slipped in the mud and landed violently on my side with the water trickling around me trying to escape. I don't know how long I laid there. I felt like crying. I couldn't quite tell if I already was. My face was soaked from the shallow water. I finally, after what seemed like another 200 year, pulled myself up and slowly walked to the little suburb I used to live in. I did so a lot calmer, but a hell of a lot more depressed. My heart made a little jump in seeing an all to familiar robot hovering in front of my house. I ran as fast as I could to him.

Now, I sat on my couch soaking wet. Blanket wrapped around me, my head spinning, my body convulsing from what I thought was cold but knew deep inside it was from something much worse. Absolute terror. My son was stolen and my wife was dead. They shot her! They killed my wife! My beautiful fucking wife! I breathed heavily clenching my fists. I would find the bastard who put a bullet in the woman I loved.

—

Go to Diamond City, they said. It'll be fun, they said. Bullshit.

I'd been hiking my way to 'the green jewel of the Commonwealth' as Mama Murphy had called it. I know she only wanted to help me find my son, and in the long run I knew this was my best bet at doing so. However, the trek there was far from pleasurable. I had run into many of the world's newest creatures that I had never known. The worst I had run into was probably this thing called a deathclaw. Gosh I loathed the things.

Thankfully, my spirit had picked up a little since leaving the vault. Not a lot, but a little. It was nice to run into some people at Concord who weren't trying to kill me. A man I met, Preston, offered to accompany me in my travels but I decided to go alone. I needed to clear my head. Sure, I was depressed but once I discovered the radio setting on the pip-boy I looted off a dead scientist back at the vault I became extremely giddy and started singing along to the station.

I walked the streets of what I remembered to be Boston and knew I was near Fenway Park, which apparently had been fixed up into a place of civilization. I heard yelling nearby and quickly shut off my pip-boy radio.

"Agh…You open this gate right now, Danny Sullivan! I live here. You can't just lock me out!" Screamed a woman at a small speaker placed outside the gate of the park. She turned to me quickly out of shock when I approached. My heart stopped. My wife? No. No, she's dead. This was just a woman in a red trench coat. She had a green scarf around her neck and wore a newsboy cap with a little card that said 'press' on it. I quickly realized I had never met this woman but I couldn't get over how strikingly similar she looked to the woman who had meant everything to me. I shook my head trying to shake it off.

"You? You want in to Diamond City right?" she whispered. My mouth opened to say words but nothing came out. It didn't matter much though. She hushed me and told me to play along as she started making up a lie about how I was a trader from Quincy with a bunch of supplies. I started to worry. I knew on me I only had my jumpsuit, a 10mm pistol, two stimpaks, a book that belonged to my son, a couple bobby pins, and the damn tattered blanket Codsworth had given to me. What if they realized I didn't have anything to trade? I was capless. Would they not let me in? Would they kick me out? They apparently didn't feel too bad about leaving people on the streets considering the woman trying to con our way in seemed like an exile herself.

They bought it. The gate started to open when the woman turned to me again.

"Better head inside before ole' Danny catches onto the bluff." I couldn't have agreed more but I figured they were more likely to drag her out than me.

"You first."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." she said with a smirk.

I ducked my head under the still moving slow gate as I headed in behind the woman. I was a lot taller than her so she didn't have to duck much as we entered. I straightened up to see the woman was already in another argument with someone. Not the man over the speaker. This man's voice was a lot deeper and gruff. The man seemed rather pissed at her and I looked back and forth between the two as they fought. Not the smartest move on my part. The woman turned to me once again and not necessarily talking to me said "Why don't we ask the newcomer? You support the news?" The question caught me off guard. Did she mean a specific news center or just in general? I decided on a safe answer and just simply stated that I had always believed in freedom of the press. It was our first amendment right. Or it was. I wasn't sure what kind of laws, if any, these people followed.

This man, the mayor, nervously spoke to me and tried to get on my good side in hope of gaining my approval. He felt fake and his words were hollow.

"This hasn't been the friendliest welcome" I stated. This seemed to make Piper smile. Piper, at least I thought that was her name. I had heard a couple of people address her and I merely assumed. She was quite attractive and I couldn't help but advert my eyes when she smiled at me so I wouldn't blush. The mayor spoke more words but I looked back at Piper when she turned her gaze back to the mayor.

"Hello?" the mayor interrupted my daze.

"Yea? sorry." I replied back confused.

"Was there anything particular you came to our city for?"

I told him that I was trying to track somebody. He didn't need to know my business. I didn't trust him; maybe because Piper didn't trust him. Finally, he directed me to a man named Valentine who apparently was a detective in town. We ended our conversation and Piper said, "Look, I gotta go get settled in, but, um stop by my office later. I have an idea for an article you'd be perfect for." Once again I wanted to say something but lacked words. She smiled and walked away into Diamond City. One part of me didn't want to let everyone know my business and disliked the idea. The other part of me wanted to go directly to her and give her the interview. There was something about her that made me feel like I could probably trust her if need be. But she also scared me. Not because others had said she stuck her nose into things looking for the truth. I somewhat admired her determination. But because she reminded me so much of my wife. I found it either mesmerizing or difficult to look at her. There was no in between. I thought it best that I kept my distance from her.

I kept my eyes on her as I followed a short distance behind. I saw a little girl run up to her yelling her name. She was Piper's sister, Nat, as I heard Piper say. Eventually, Piper walked into a nearby building. I walked further into the city just before the little girl ran up to me.

"Free Paper to newcomers." I decided to joke with her a little. I really wanted to be good with children, especially if I find my son. I was going to be a single father.

"A free paper? Sounds like quality" I quipped. She went off about some institution and I tried my best to follow along. I thanked her for the free paper and started to read a few lines as I headed to Valentine's office.

—

I'd come a long way since first walking into Diamond city. I found out Nick Valentine had been kidnapped, rescued him, broke into a man's house, and tracked the man who killed my wife all the way to an abandoned fortress. I never liked killing people, i've done it many times from my days in the military to random raiders in the wasteland. This was different. Kellogg, the man who killed my wife, I didn't kill out of fear for my safety or the greater good. I killed Kellogg out of pure anger. His death was the first time I ever felt like a killer. I knew what I did had to be done, but I still felt empty inside. Killing this man did not make me feel any better. My son was still missing and my wife was still dead. I had been broken by this man and some part of me thought ending his life would piece me back together again. I felt nothing. If anything I felt worse. This little escapade took a little under a month due to constant attacks, saving Nick, the need to set up camp come night fall, looking for another scent Dogmeat could track— It was all too slow and there wasn't really anything I could do about it. Now even more time had passed than however long it had been that I was cryogenically frozen the second time and I was nowhere near finding my son. All that I had accomplished was confirm my suspicion that the institute had taken my boy.

I took Kellogg's gun off his body and used it as my own, as somewhat of a reminder to myself not to forget what he had done; to fuel my rage and keep my hope alive that i'd find my son.

Nick approached me.

"We're in the weeds, here. Time to take a step back. Bring in some fresh eyes. Only person I know willing to snoop up the institute's tail feathers is Piper, the reporter in Diamond City. I say we head her way. Talk this through." he said.

"Uh, why Piper exactly?" I said a little nervously. I met her prior to Valentine and oddly felt a connection with her besides the fact that I myself had only said two words to the woman. Still, I didn't like the idea of hanging around her. Not when she made me too damn nervous. "Is it really necessary?" I added.

"Only if you want to find the institute. Why? Got an issue with the press?" He said raising one eyebrow.

"No, not at all… never mind. Let's just head to Diamond City and find her."

"Alright…" he said a little confused and suspiciously.

I hadn't seen Piper in a month and I wasn't too sure I was ready to see her again. It didn't matter though. I wasn't about to let my nerves get the best of me. The journey back only took about two days. This time I was determined to trudge back as quickly as possible. We traveled nonstop day and night and only stopped once when I realized I was out of water. I had to go scavenging for some in a nearby abandoned house. Nick had no issues with our non-stop traveling being a synth and I had sent Dogmeat back to Sanctuary. I wasn't actually sure if he understood what I wanted him to do but I hoped for the best. The only thing that slowed us down this time was myself and I hated my own human limits.

We arrived at Diamond City at dark. I was exhausted. I had barely slept on the way back. I think the only rest I had was a small nap on an uncomfortable mattress abandoned in a makeshift shack. Nick pestered me a couple of times to eat, sleep, and do all the things humans need to do to survive but I thanked him and ignored his advice. I was determined to get back to Diamond City. If Piper was the one chance I had to find my son I was going to take it. I didn't care if she haunted me like the ghost of my dead wife, I needed her.

I walked up to the little building with 'Publick Occurrences' written in green letters on the roof. I looked at the red door and thought about knocking. I bit my bottom lip and breathed in preparing to make contact with the wood. Valentine stared at me for a second, rolled his glowing yellow eyes, and knocked abruptly. He quickly stepped behind me smiling and pushing me forward as I panicked for a second. I turned around and argued with him in hushed tones. Piper quickly opened the door to see neither of us looking at her and or paying attention to the person we came to see in the first place.

"um, everything okay here?" she asked pointing quickly between me and Nick. Nick fell silent and nudged me in the arm.

"uh, I—Hi Piper"

"Ooh! Did you come to do that interview I asked you about" She said excitedly. She laughed as she said, "took you long enough"

"oh, uh no actually. Sorry."

"No worries. But hey you owe me an interview one of these days" she said as she bopped my nose with her finger. I looked at my feet and blushed hard.

"So how can I be of assistance?" She asked while summoning us inside.

"We need help, Piper. This man named Kellogg kidnapped my son, but that wasn't all. He was working with the institute. He… he gave them Shaun…" I stated but trailed off without really finishing my thoughts.

"The institute…oh boy." she sighed. "I've been investigating them for over a year now… I'm really sorry." Her voice went soft and quiet at the last piece of her sentence as if trying to avoid hurting me.

"No one really knows where the institute actually is, or how to get in" Nick said blatantly.

"Well… there's one person who must know, right? The guy who just handed them Shaun." Piper muttered at first but became more confident with her words.

"Kellogg…huh" Nick spoke to himself. I looked directly in Piper's eye for what I believe was the first time. They were a beautiful hazel green and I almost got distracted as I told her, "Whatever you're thinking, it doesn't matter. He's dead."

"Huh, so murderer kidnapper get his brains blown out? Might be a happy ending if there wasn't still the biggest story in the commonwealth to solve." Piper joked.

"hmm.. gets his brains blown out—his brain." Nick said as if he was onto something. Piper looked at him sort of funny before replying, "You're talking crazy here Nick. Dead men tell no tales remember?"

"There's this place called the Memory Den over in Good Neighbor. They specialize in the human mind. If anyone could get a dead brain to sing, it'll be Doctor Amari, the mind behind the memories."

"Do you actually think this'll work?" I asked rather not confidently.

"Yes. Hmm…I guess we're going to need a piece of Kellogg's brain." Nick thought aloud.

"Jesuuus, Nick…Gross! Seriously?!"

"Unfortunately…" he replied.

"Greaaat, who doesn't love harvesting brain like a zombie. Lucky I already have some." I said sarcastically.

"What? Why do you already have some?" Piper asked horrified.

"Oh…I..uh" Thinking back, I realized how weird it was that I did.

"Well, I noticed he had a cybernetic implant. I thought it might be useful to have it looked into…"

"Well, I have to head over to the memory den a bit earlier than you so I don't spring all this on Doctor Amari. Meet me over at Good Neighbor whenever's best for you. Take Piper. I'm afraid this is where we part ways for now." Said Nick. He made sure She wasn't looking before he turned to me and gave me a wink. What the hell did that mean? Take Piper? Why? She's just a reporter.

"What? Why? I'll just go with you." I said persistently.

"No, I have to leave and talk to Doctor Amari before hand. Just go with Piper."

"No it's fine. I'll just head there by myself."

"Whoa! Hey! Right here. You seriously hate me that much" She laughed kind of sadly as if trying to cheer herself up.

"What? No no no no! That not what I… I didn't mean… I like you a lot… I mean you're very nice. I just, uh meant—I didn't want to bother you with my shit, you barely know me." I finally managed to spit out.

"Well, one, getting involved in other people's business is how I make a living you know? Two, I guess this gives me an excuse to get to know you a little better." She smiled and I smirked at her.

"Uh, you know as an interviewee.. for my article"

"Of course." I said still smiling.

"Well i'm going to head out." Nick said with a cheeky grin plastered on his face. He slowly walked backwards out the door.

"Guess it's just you and me now." Piper said seeing the door close. I didn't respond. Instead I started planning out loud. "I'll head to the market and buy some ammo. Do you have a gun? What am I saying of course you do. This is the wasteland. How far away is Good Neighbor? I want to make sure to pack accordingly. I—"

"Whoa! Blue calm down." Piper said laughing.

"Blue?" I asked confused

"You're clothing…"

"huh? oh. This thing?" I said clutching at the fabric which proved to be difficult being so tight against my skin. "I almost forgot I was wearing it to be honest. It was the jumpsuit they gave us at vault 111"

"Vault 111? Is that where you came from?"

"Mmm, according to the big letters on my back yea. Wait— you're trying to interview me right now aren't you""

"What?" she said trying to sound flabbergasted. "Psssh… no…. Okay, yes. But why not? Can't I interview you real quick? I know you lost your son…" She started scribbling things down on a notepad she seemed to pull from thin air. " An I know you're from Vault 1-1…" She slowly mouthed out each number as she wrote them down. "But what I don't know is how your son was kidnapped? Where is your uh, wife exactly?"

"Not today, Piper" I said quietly. The mention of my wife brought my spirits down and I felt all the more awkward being in the same room as Piper. I don't know why but I started to feel irritated at thinking about my wife and Piper in the same thought.

"Oh, come on blue" She wouldn't give. I tried to joke my way out of it but I think it came out more snippy than I hoped.

"Alright, Here's your headline: Local man says no."

"Ugh, gonna be like that huh?" she said, sounding a little hurt. "smartass…" I barely heard her say. I felt bad but I was in no shape to do that interview. "Fine" She continued. "We'll do this later, but I want that interview blue."

"we'll leave in a few hours" I said coldly. At this point I just didn't feel like talking. I was a soldier. I knew how to withhold information. Piper just looked at me. I felt uncomfortable just standing there and I didn't dare sit down without an invitation. Piper said nothing. "I'll wait outside, then buy some ammo right before the shops close." It was getting rather late. I knew shopkeepers would often begrudgingly give you discounts come nightfall since all they want to do is go back inside they didn't argue about price to much. I put my hand on the door, opened it, looked back at Piper who was just staring at me. Then I left. I sat in the middle of the market place on a stool in front of this little noodle shop. The robot working the shop spoke little to absolutely no english and from what i've heard the only word it actually knows is 'yes'. It said something to me in Japanese. Probably asking if I wanted something to eat most likely, but I didn't feel like eating, I didn't feel like anything but heading to the memory den. I sat there for a long time just waiting. I didn't like not being able to do anything. I felt like any time not looking for Shaun was time wasted. I scanned Diamond City for a while in my stool before I felt my eyes getting heavy. I shook my head to fight off sleep but I found myself slumping my back against the counter and dozing off in the tiny chair. Next thing I know I felt a hand on my shoulder gently wake me.

"Blue…"


	2. Chapter 2

POV: Piper

Blue walked out the door with a serious face. I didn't know what to say. I was a bag of mixed emotions. I felt angry that he had been so cold with me but I also felt pretty bad for bugging him with personal questions. I didn't know much about the man but after sitting on my couch and thinking for a while I realized, his son was just taken from him. There's no way Blue wants to talk about that. If he does than it'll be something he decides on his own. I can't force him.

I should apologize, but I was scared to talk to him. He was a tall, short-dark-haired man. His jaw was strong and had stubble adorning his chin. He had an intimidating look to him but I could tell from his eyes he had a soft heart. His eyes were a light grey with a bluish tinge. Although I didn't want to admit to myself, I thought he was quite handsome. In the few times I had seen him I couldn't help but notice the definition of his muscle showing through the tight fabric of his blue jumpsuit.

I barely knew him but I wanted him to like me and I was scared I had made a poor impression. I made up my mind. I was still angry that he had been so rude and it made me question if he was even a good man but I would apologize anyways. I peaked my head out side. Glancing around, I noticed the sky had turned a dark grey color. It would be raining soon. I sighed and closed my door behind me as I stepped out. I quickly found him, he sat on a stool in front of Takahashi's noodle stand. His chin was resting on his chest and his back was leaning against the counter. Oh my gosh. What the hell was he doing sleeping out in the open. What if it had been a radiation storm?! Rain started to fall and I ran from the safety of my porch roof that I was standing under to the small coverage of the noodle shop's tarp.

Blue looked so sound asleep I almost felt bad waking him up. I carefully placed my hand on his shoulder and shook him softly.

"Blue…" I said trying to stir him. He moved a little and almost fell out of his chair causing his eyes to flash open. I laughed a bit and asked, "you okay?"

"Piper? Yea, fine. Thank you." he said running his hand down his face in exhaustion.

"It's raining." I said simply. "We should head out tomorrow."

"No. I want to get there as soon as possible." He saw my expression of worry and added "Also can't keep Nick waiting right? Besides, a little rain never hurt anyone."

I laughed, "You clearly have never seen a rad storm good sir!" He laughed back but did not seem swayed.

"I'll go get some supplies real quick the we can head out?" I looked up at the sky and then over at the shops. It was late.

"Blue, the markets closed for tonight."

"What?" he said, getting up from where he sat and straining his neck to look at each shop.

"Shit. Wait. I think Percy is still running Diamond City Surplus." he said hopefully. I looked up and down at him and noticed how worn out he was. He had lines under his eyes and he carried himself heavily.

"Blue?" I asked.

"Yea?"

"When's the last time you got a full night's sleep"

"Uh, I don't know" He stated not really paying attention and slowly started moving. I caught him by the arm which surprised him.

"Let me rephrase that." I said, "When's the last time you took care of yourself? Have you eaten anything?" I became genuinely worried. This man was killing himself and he didn't even care. All he wanted to do was find his lost son. I understood his motivation and felt sympathy but he couldn't keep going on like this. He hadn't answered my question and only pulled against my hand weakly.

"Blue, it's the dead of night, it's raining and a storm might be rolling in, the shops are closed, and no Percy won't have what you're looking for." He stopped fighting my grasp and his head dropped. "So please, come inside. We'll get some sleep and head out in the morning. I promise." He stood still and remained silent. I just wanted to pull this man into an embrace and tell him it would be alright, but instead I just released my hand from his arm and said, "I know you want to find your son, and we will. But not if you don't take care of yourself. If the institute truly has Shaun… you're going to need all your strength. Make sure Shaun has a father when he gets out of there." He lifted his head and looked me in the eyes. I didn't expect what happened next. He pulled me into a hug and whispered in my ear, "Thank you." I smiled against his neck and when he finally let go I nudged him towards my home.

"Go inside." I said. "I'll be in, in just a minute." I watched as he walked backwards a few steps and then turn around to open my door. He looked back at me still standing next to Takahashi, smiled from afar, and then went inside.

I stood there not moving for several moments just staring at my door. I finally turned and ordered three bowls of noodles. One for me, one for Nat, and one for Blue. Everything else might be closed in Diamond City but Power Noodles never quit. Takahashi came to town in the year 2272 and has worked in the middle of town ever since. And when I say ever since I mean nonstop 24/7. No one really knows if it's a glitch in his programming or not but the poor protectron never closes his shop. So lucky me gets to buy food at one in the morning.

I walked back into my building and closed the door with my hip while carrying a bag of food. "I brought food!" I said a little too loudly. I set the bag on the table and looked up to see Blue just standing in the middle of the floor.

"You can sit down you know." I said jokingly.

"Oh, thank you." he said nervously. Although he remained standing there. I walked past him to look for my sister Nat. "Nat…" I began. She was past out in her bed, her head face down in her pillow. If I was quiet I could just make out the sound of her softly snoring. I chuckled quietly to myself not wanting to wake her up and headed back to the front room. I took out one of the bowls and set it in the refrigerator before shifting my attention back to Blue.

"Food?" I said holding up the two bowls, one in each hand.

"Sure, thank you." he said with a smile accepting one from my hand.

I sat on my couch and patted the seat next to me. He shuffled over to the couch and sat down a distance away from me. I wasn't sure if he just didn't want to intrude on my personal space or if he just didn't like me which made me rather nervous. Blue was extremely polite, but it also made him very awkward. In some ways it was kind of cute as long as it didn't verge into Travis territory, our radio announcer in Diamond City. Part of me wished he would scoot closer, the distance made me nervous. But, there was no way in hell I'd ever tell him that. We sat there quietly for minutes and I could see Blue out the corner of my eye looking up and down at me making inferences.

"Do you always—" he started but didn't finish. He caught me off guard with a noodle hanging out of my mouth embarrassingly. I quickly slurped it up and nervously asked, "Do I always what?"

"Nothing" he said, "Never mind." His head went down to stare at the floor and he rubbed the back of his neck as if trying to decide something.

"I'll make you a deal." He said looking up and smiling at me.

"Deal?" I asked unsurely. He just smiled and continued,

"I'll give you an interview…" My head perked up. "…If you give me an interview." He finished. Give him an interview?

"hey, I'm the reporter here you know. What would you need an interview from me for? Or is there a paper I just don't know about?" I joked but I was genuinely nervous why he would want to know about me.

"Do we have a deal or…?" he asked waiting for my response.

"uh, okay." I said lamely.

"Pssst. You gotta say deal otherwise it's like null and void." He whispered with a grin.

"I didn't take you for a man of contracts." I teased.

"Nah, not really. But I think all of my wife's law lingo rubbed off on me. But, come on. Deal?" He said charmingly. His wife. One of the many things I wanted to ask him about. Where was she? Why was he the only one looking for their lost son. Blue had seemed a bit closed about sharing personal facts about himself and I figured this may be my only chance to find out.

"Deal"

It wasn't unlike me to fight for a story, but it was unusual that I would put my self out there like that. I wasn't sure exactly why I was. There was just something about the man that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I had only known him briefly but I felt comfortable around him.

"So, Mrs?…" he started.

"Ms. Wright" I replied amused.

"Right." He smiled. "What do you do for fun?" What do I do for fun? Shit. I should have an answer to this. This should be an easy question but for some reason I couldn't focus beyond his voice.

"Um, I—well, I love writing… Oh! and spending time with my sister." I thought about it for another minute. "Sometimes, when I find the time, i'll read."

"Hmm… interesting, interesting." he said, picking up my notepad and literally just making wavy lines to imitate words. I laughed at him, unable to control my reaction.

"What?" he asked pretending to be serious and holding back a smile rather unsuccessfully.

"What do you read?" he added.

"oh just some pre-war books i've come across and well, uh, comic books…but those are for uh research purposes." Blue just smiled at me.

"So what's it like running a newspaper?" he asked curiously.

"It can be a bit stressful but I think it's worth it in the end as long as the truth gets out there."

"I read one of your articles by the way. The Synthetic Truth I think it was called. You, Piper you're an amazing writer. Not to mention the town is extremely lucky to have someone like you looking out for them." No one had ever complimented me like that before. I've always worked hard on the paper to help people but everyone always hates me for telling the truth for how it is.

"Thank you Blue, that means a lot to me, really. If only everyone else felt that way…" I muttered the last part irritatedly.

"Well, people are idiots." he said. "They honestly don't deserve you." I smiled at that.

"What made you start-up the paper in the first place?" I didn't say anything for a minute. There was no way he could have known how touchy a subject the truth behind that question really was. "I've always wanted to do some good in this world. And the truth, that's what protects us. People deserve to know what's out there, good or bad." I could just end there. I had answered his question and there was no reason to elaborate further. But, I was asking him to tell me most likely very painful details about himself. I felt the least I could do was return the favor. "My sister and I…" I continued, "we grew up way out in the commonwealth. Tiny little settlement. Our Dad, he was part of the local militia. 'Keeping the Raiders off our backs and the Mirelurks out of our latrines,' as he'd describe it." I laughed sadly at hearing my fathers own quote come past my lips. "Well uh, one day…our Dad turns up dead. His captain, asshole named Mayburn, claims Raiders must've gotten him on watch." I could feel tears swell up in my eyes but I fought to keep calm. Blue didn't need to see me like that.

"Piper—" he said softly but I cut him off.

"I didn't buy it. I started making inquiries. Turns out, the captain, he'd sold out. Thought he wasn't getting paid enough. He was going to let the raiders sack the place, and take a cut of the profits. My dad found out and was going to turn Mayburn in, but Mayburn got to him first. And I wasn't about to let that bastard get away with murder. I tried talking to the Mayor but he wouldn't listen. So…I papered the entire town in posters, 'Wanted for Gross Dereliction of Duty. Captain Mayburn.' The Mayor sure wanted to talk after that. I wanted justice for my father but it wasn't until I stepped up and did something that things changed. I realized then that things can't be handled 'quietly', things have to be put out there. So, when I got to Diamond City, after a while I started up the paper. Figured if people wouldn't listen to reason then maybe they'd listen to the press."

I finished and then looked back up at up at Blue. His expression was blank and I couldn't read into his thoughts. What must he have thought of me. Did he think I was some sad girl who just can't get over the death of her father or maybe just a pushy reporter with a shitty back story.

"Piper" he began again. "I-I'm sorry about your father. I know all to well what it's like to lose someone you love."

"I know you do, I'm really sorry about your son." I stated sympathetically.

"And my wife." I heard him whisper. He returned his gaze to the floor. His wife? Oh god, he had lost his wife too. I wondered if she had been kidnapped along with his son but some piece of me just knew the wife of this man was dead. I, without thinking, reached out and grabbed his hand in an attempt to comfort. I realized my out-of-place action and went to pull my hand away and apologize but before I could his hand gripped mine. We sat there for what felt like forever until he slowly released my hand. I missed the contact.

"Well, I owe you an interview" he said breaking the silence and giving me a somewhat sad smile. I quickly glanced at the old pre-war clock I had on my table. Then I turned to Blue. His eyes looked heavy but eager. He was too sweet. I think he felt bad about turning me down before and I could tell he wanted to make up for it. I could also tell he hadn't slept in a long time but he didn't care much. In the short time I've know him I had learned quickly that Blue cared more about those he loved than himself.

"Hey Blue…time for bed alright." His eyes were nearly closed but opened quickly at my words.

"Don't you need to interview me for your article?" he asked a little groggily.

"I can always do that some other time. You need to get some sleep."

"No, no i'm fine." I knew that no amount of convincing by my part would be effective.

"Well, I need to sleep. So lets just both go to bed." It wasn't exactly a lie. I was feeling the wear of the day that only sleep could fix.

"a-alright" he finally agreed. "I'll go get a room at the dugout." he added.

"What? No. Don't be ridiculous. You're staying here tonight. Period." I said quickly before he could interrupt.

"Thanks Piper" He gave me a smile that interrupted all my thoughts. I felt extremely hot and stood up to try to cool myself down. I turned my back to him.

"Of course, yea. Any—uh anytime Blue." I turned to face him again and noticed he was practically asleep just sitting on my couch. I laughed silently to myself before taking his arm and placing it around my neck to gain leverage as I pulled him up.

"Come on Blue" He stumbled up the stairs with me and I, rather ungracefully, dropped him on my bed. He didn't seem to mind though and started laughing into the mattress.

"I'm sorry. I'm useless when I'm tired"

"Which is why you need to sleep." I lifted the blankets and pulled them over his body. His face pressed downward into my pillow which caused his words to come out a bit muffled.

"Mmm..this is your bed. Shit. No, let me take the couch."

"It's fine. I'm taking the couch. And you are practically asleep right now. Just go with it."

"I—ugg alright. But if you get uncomfortable you can always lay here with me just so you know" I blushed slightly and joked, "Or I could just push you off and reclaim my bed." He laughed.  
"Yes! or you could do that" We went silent for a while before he said,

"Goodnight Ms. Wright." I chuckled slightly before replying, "Goodnight Blue."

"Nate"

"What?"

"That's my name" I felt rather stupid. With all that was going on I forgot to ask him what his name even was. That was one of the reasons I resulted to calling him Blue. It was nice to know. But, I had started to grow fond of the nickname and I think he had too.

"Well, in that case… Goodnight Blue." I saw the corner of his mouth that wasn't smushed into my pillow turn up before I pivoted around to head back down the stairs. Tomorrow, or today keeping in mind the late hour, would be a big day. They would both need all the rest they could get for the trek to Good Neighbor.


	3. Chapter 3

POV: Nate

I woke up with light beaming onto my face. This was the first time since waking up after vault 111 that I didn't feel cold. I remembered I was in Piper's bed and quickly and clumsily jumped out. I peered down the wooden stairs and saw Piper passed out on her couch with a thin blanket falling off her onto the floor. I made the bed as fast as I could as not to be rude. It was the least I could do. Piper had been too generous. I owed the woman. I didn't want to think about it but this woman had just saved me from myself. If not for her I would have wandered out of the city sleep deprived and starving. A raider or some gunner would have shot me down in seconds all because I wouldn't be able to focus.

Although now there were other reasons I couldn't focus…

I, as quietly as I possibly could, creaked down the stairs. I walked up to the sleeping women and carefully took the hem of the blanket that had fallen off of her and pulled it up over her. She stirred a bit.

"Blue?" she said groggily.

"Shh, go back to sleep." I whispered.

She reached out her hand and placed it clumsily on my face dragging her fingers across my features before her hand fell to the floor as if in attempt to acknowledge my presence. I got on my knees and lifted her hand back to her lap. Her hand latched onto mine in her sleep state of mind and I didn't dare try and pull my hand away. I let her just hold my hand as a I slowly shifted to rest my back against the side of the couch while getting off my knees to sit on the floor. We remained there for about an hour as I gently made circles with my finger on the back of her hand. It was easy to just close my eyes and relax, as if I was back in my own time…happy.

—-

POV: Piper

Falling asleep on the couch was a bit of a chore. I had shifted many times before I found a position that was at least tolerable. So I was surprised to wake up rather comfortably. I felt a warm hand in mine. I purred softly to myself feeling the hand make soothing circles on my skin. It took me several long moments just laying there with my eyes closed to realize that the hand was Blue's. For a second, I thought about getting up and pulling my hand away but, I was too sleepy and too relaxed to protest. Not to mention, I couldn't find a reason to let go. I found the contact calming.

I was somewhat scared that he'd let go if I woke up so I pretended to remain asleep for a while just to drag out the moment. After a while I cracked one eye open to look at Nate. His eyes were closed and he had a soft smile across his perfect, handsome, face. I noticed the scar cutting through part of his brow and wanted to reach out and examine it. To feel an imperfection that felt impossible from this perfect man. I must have moved slightly because he stirred and sweetly pulled his hand away from mine and stood up. I longed for him to come back but I knew we had to get up eventually. I continued to lay there showing no sign I was awake. I heard footsteps and then the slight creak of a door open then shut as softly as he could manage.

That got me up. Did he leave?

I pinched the bridge of my nose and then stood up. I had slept in my clothes and I only quickly put on my red coat and stepped outside myself while putting on my hat. I swiftly found Blue. He was standing in front of Commonwealth Weaponry bargaining with Arturo. I watched from afar as they finally shook hands and Nate rummaged in his pockets and covertly handing him a number of caps and in return Arturo setting several boxes of .45 ammo for his combat rifle and few boxes of 10mm for what I could only assume for me. I started slowly walking towards him as he moved away and came across Sheffield, one of Diamond Cities only homeless men. The old man sat on the ground. I heard him ask Blue for a Nuka Cola. Blue looked at the man than slowly jogged in the other direction towards Diamond City Surplus. I stopped moving and felt a little vexed at Blue. Most people ignored Sheffield, but I didn't expect Nathan to. He didn't even acknowledge Sheffield or apologize for not being able to help. I hadn't done much for the old man but I would occasionally give him one or two caps.

I did not expect to see him slowly jogging back right up to Sheffield. Nate crouched down balancing on the balls of his feet. I stepped forward to overhear him say,

"sorry for running off. Got you this." He pulled a bottle out of his bag and handed it to him." I smiled as Sheffield thanked him. I was about to go talk to Blue and swayed forward but Blue wasn't finished.

"How would you like to come work for me? I have a settlement up in Sanctuary. Food, shelter, not to mention I can guarantee you a job. That's caps in your pocket." I had never seen Sheffield so happy before and I let them talk for another minute before Sheffield left to the gate and Nate stood up turning around and noticing me.

"Piper!" he said smiling.

"Blue" I replied back. "That was really sweet of you."

"What? That? Nah. Sheffield's a good guy. I was only making a smart business move" He said smirking and giving me a not so subtle wink. I laughed and looked down to hide my blush.

"Oh! Here. Before I forget." He pulled out the boxes of 10mm and handed them to me. I put them in my bag and looked back up as he said, "Also, breakfast." He tossed me a sweet roll and I caught it with one hand, nearly dropping it but lifting my other hand to support it.

"My favorite" I said content and giving him a smile. "Ready to head out?" I asked.

He looked at me and ran his fingers through his hair.

"You know…Piper" I shuddered happily at hearing my name pass his lips. "You don't have to travel with me if you don't want to. I promise i'll give you that interview. Don't even worry about that." he said quickly seeing my mouth part. "I know we're just heading to good neighbor but who knows what will happen on the way there and especially what happens after. I don't want you getting hurt. I don't mind going alone. I've been alone for a while now…"

My heart hurt at his last sentence.

I knew he was about to start rambling again so I grabbed his arm, looked him in the eyes, and said, "I want to go. I know the risk. I'm not going to let you be alone." I let go of his arm and saw his eyes explore my face. "Besides, someone has to make sure you don't end up sleeping with the mirelurks" I joked trying to distract myself from the fact that I cared about what happened to him. He smiled and just said, "alright, lets head out."

"Alright…wait, one second. Wait right here." I ran back to my house leaving Blue standing there a little confused. I went to the back room of my place to see my sister still fast asleep. I kneeled next to her and lowered my body before placing my hand on the ground and laying on my side to get on her level. I slowly and softly shook her. Nat stirred, she had her back to me and turned her body to face me.

"hey…" I said quietly.

"Hey" she repeated back rubbing her eyes with one hand. "You're leaving aren't you?"

I frowned slightly. "Yeah… and I don't know how long i'll be gone for. But I know your a big girl. I'll be back eventually."

"Whatever" She said with a frown and turned her back to me still laying down. I knew she wasn't happy with me. She didn't like it when i'd leave but part of me thought it was actually for her own good. She followed in my footsteps a lot… and nearly everyone in Diamond City hated me. If she continued doing so I was scared she'd get herself into trouble. I hoped that if I left for a while maybe she'd cool down and just enjoy herself. Make friends and be happy. She deserved to be happy. However, I didn't want her to hate me. I pulled myself up a bit. Not enough to be standing up but enough where I could hover over Nat. I reached down and started tickling her stomach.

"Oh come on, i'm about to head out and we're going to leave it like that?" She started laughing hysterically and squirming putting her hands up trying to slap mine away.

"Pipeeeer!" She squealed. I stopped and was surprised when she threw her arms around me and squeezed hard. "Please be safe" She said into my side.

"I will." I said softly. With that I kissed her on the top of her head. "There's noodles in the fridge."

I got up and headed for the door. Blue scared me. He was leaning against the door way and was smiling at me.

"Ugh, you gave me a heart attack Blue"

"My bad, hope I didn't ruin a tender moment" he said with a grin. I rolled my eyes and pushed him through the doorway with both hands as he stepped backwards.

"Come on, let's go"

—

POV: Nate

The trip to Good Neighbor was shorter than I expected but just as dangerous as I imagined. We ran into several super mutants and many groups of raiders looking for an some easy targets. We proved quickly that we were not to be messed with. Piper had a rather good aim. Nonetheless, that didn't stop me from constantly staying in front of her out of fear she might get hurt. I was scared that someone might sneak up from behind but I felt it was best if I stayed in front in case we ran into a group of gunners. If they rained fire on us maybe, just maybe, my body could double as a human shield. Piper disliked my constant overprotective attitude but I wasn't going to stop. We made it to Good Neighbor in only two days.

We headed into the Memory Den where we were met by Nick.

"Hope getting here wasn't too difficult." He said.

"Nah, other than the super mutants I'd say the trip was a piece of cake." I heard Piper say. Nick laughed, walked up to us, and brought me in for a pat on the back.

"Doctor Amari should be ready to help us in just a moment here. Do you have the brain?"

"Yup" I said patting my bag. We followed him down a set of stairs in the back as he asked, "So what did you think of my friend Nate here Piper?"

"Oh, I don't know. A little thick in the head but he's alright" she teased and punched me in the arm. I blushed and avoided eye contact with anyone.

"Come on, isn't he a catch?" Nick said with a laugh.

"Nick…" I interrupted. But before I could say anything further Piper interrupted my interruption.

"He really is. Smooth as fuck and a handsome devil. What's not to love?" She said with a smile. That caught me off guard. I was about to say something but, I didn't know what to say, and we had reached the bottom of the stairs. We arrived in a white room with two big chairs in it… This was going to be fun.

—

POV: Piper

Traveling with Blue had been something new. I never thought i'd actually enjoy being shot at but with him I didn't really care what we were doing. He kept blocking me a lot and I periodically tried to get around him. I so wanted to be useful but I felt more of a hindrance than a help with his constant protection. It was sort of cute how he strived to shield me by moving back and forth. Once we arrived in Good Neighbor we headed straight for the Memory Den but not before meeting a man trying to con us out of our caps. The mayor of the town, Hancock, came and without warning stabbed the man which made me jump. Blue threw his arms back placing one hand on my stomach in clumsy attempt to protect me. I appreciated his effort but the act wouldn't have done much if this ghoul actually wanted to kill us.

Now, we were at the Memory Den and Doctor Amari had told us that someone would have to go through the memories. Of course Blue was up for the challenge. He would do anything to find his son. I watched as he went through the memories of the man who kidnapped his son. We all sat there for a long time as they went through useless memories. I could't see what Blue saw but Doctor Amari had a screen of his brainwaves up on a monitor. I kept my eyes on the screen and watched the lines move up and down slowly.

Suddenly, the lines became frantic and sharp. I jumped up from my seat and turned my head to the pod Blue was in. He was squirming and muffley yelled 'no' over and over again. Occasionally his fist would hit against the glass.

"Hurry! Let him out! He's in pain!" I yelled at Doctor Amari.

"His brainwaves indicate it's merely a reaction to something. He doesn't appear to be in danger."

"Does it matter! Let him out!"

"Pulling him out now could be dangerous, and it is possible he is seeing something vital. This is why he came here. We have to let him ride it out."

I hated this. I could't watch. I backed out of the room and sat on the stairs. I rested my head in my hands and waited. After about an hour Nick walked out of the room. I stood up quickly. I looked at his face waiting for some sort of news.

"Doctor Amari just pulled him out. He should be up soon if you want to go see him. I think I'm going to wait upstairs. I—"

"Thanks Nick" I said hurriedly passing him and walking back into the room.

"…that's how they get there!" I heard Blue yell energetically.

"How?" I asked curiously walking into the room. "Get where? What did I miss?"

"Piper… Where'd you go?" asked blue.

"I-I just, uh went for some air…"

"Oh" he said a little sadly. "And teleportation," he added.

"Teleportation?"

"Yeah, it's why no one can figure out where the institute is. If I can figure out how to hack the signal it's possible I could get into the heart of the institute."

"That's great." I faked a smile. I was happy he was closer to finding his son but the idea of him walking head on into danger made me nervous. That was most likely instant death.

We walked up the stairs and Blue went to talk to Nick. They chatted for a minute about what had just happened and eventually I heard him say,

"I think I'll stick with Piper for now."

Nick chuckled and said,

"You two kids have fun." Soon Nick had left to head back to Diamond City. I walked up to Blue and he immediately asked, "Want to grab a drink?" We headed to a bar called the Third Rail. It was a dingy little place but we made due. We grabbed some seats and he bought us both drinks. The robot that served us, Whitechapel Charlie, brought Nate in close and told him about a job he had available involving crime and murder. For a second I was scared Blue was going to accept the job but I kicked myself for thinking so. He immediately turned the job down. We sat there for a while and he looked like he was about to say something but before he could I asked,

"Are you alright? I-I saw you panicking in the pod and that's the reason I left." I admitted. "I couldn't stand to see you in pain like that and…and—"

"Interview me." Blue said simply interrupting my rambling.

"What? Blue, this is serious."

"Interview me." He repeated. I looked into his eyes and saw them plead at me. Blue always had a reason for the things he'd do.

"A-alright. um" I struggled to think of what to even ask him. I pulled out my notebook and saw the scribbles he had made the other night and I laughed softly to myself as I flipped the page. "So, uh, you don't appear to be from the commonwealth. Where are you from exactly? Where is Vault 111?"

"No, actually I am. I was born here in Boston and never left."

"Oh, so—"

"The reason I'm kind of out of place is because i'm just not used to life in the wasteland. Things were a lot different before the war."

"Before the war? What war?" I asked extremely confused. The only war I could think of that had happened not to long ago was the war between the Enclave and the Brotherhood of Steel.

"You know, THE War" he nodded his head forward at me as if I was suppose to know.

"What? You don't mean the great war? That's not possible." I stated still confused.

"I was born in the year 2047, before the war."

"But, that would make you..what? Over 200 hundred years old? How? You're not exactly a ghoul…or I mean you don't look like one."

He sighed as if he had been waiting for this moment "I had fought in the resource wars before the bombs fell. Because of that, the government assigned me, my wife, and my son to a vault. Vault 111. We…we thought we just were going to be living there. 'Waiting out the horrors of nuclear devastation.' But, Vault-Tec…" He said with a grimace. It was then I realized the reason he suddenly wanted me to give the interview. He wanted me to know. He wanted me to understand.

"…they had different plans. They lied to everyone. They used us like lab rats! They wanted to study the effects of cryogenics on unaware 'subjects' or some bullshit like that. I was out for 200 years before Kellogg woke up all the pods. But I was still trapped when he opened my wife's pod. She was holding my son. I didn't, I don't know why they wanted him but Kellogg was hired to take him to the institute. They called me the back up i'm not sure why. My wife…" His voice croaked. "She wouldn't let them take Shaun. Bless her heart. He shot her. The fucking bastard didn't even care. They refroze my pod before I could figure a way out. I woke back up I think ten years later. At least I think.. From Kellogg's memories I saw my son… he was about ten. That's what I saw in those memories. I-I had to relive that awful day. So that's why I panicked. I knew it was just a memory but part of me I guess thought I could stop it. Stop them from taking my son…Anyways yea, that's me. That's my story." He finished sadly. I didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry…doesn't cut it. I can't begin to imagine how you're feeling."

"It's okay. Honestly, something like that, I'm never going to completely get over. But, that doesn't mean I can't ever be happy again." I smiled at him in agreement. We sat there for a long time and had a couple more drinks in silence. Desperate to break it I said,

"I'm sure you're eager to find a way to hack your way into the institute." He sat silently for a few seconds before responding.

"No actually. I don't know if this makes me a bad father or not but… at this moment, Shaun is in better hands with the institute than he would be with me. From what I saw, they're just…taking care of him. Yes, I plan on getting my son as soon as I can. However, the institute. The institute isn't exactly some place I can just take on without a plan or some trick up my sleeve. Just barging in would be suicide and like you told me, I have to make sure Shaun has a father when this is all over. I'm going to have to be patient if I ever want to see my son again. This is something I have to prepare for."

I unconsciously made a sigh of relief at hearing this.

"You look relieved." He stated curiously.

"oh, well…yea. I mean I want you to find your son as much as the next girl but, I care about you Blue. And I don't want to see you dead." I finished. I refused to meet his eyes but I could see his mouth turn into a smile.

"I care about you too Piper. I like having you close." He leaned a little closer as he spoke.

"Oh. Uh, thanks, Blue. That's, that's awfullyyy sweet…and unexpected of you." I felt all the blood rush to my face and panicked a little. I finished my drink in one big swig. It had been a long time since I had felt like this. Blue constantly made me feel embarrassed, in the best kind of way, and I realized this isn't the kind of relationship I wanted to be just a friendship.

Click! Click! Click! Blue's eyes had looked past me and I turned in my stool to see the singer of the bar, Magnolia, come and sit down next to me. Blue stood up and walked past me to talk to her. She saw him and grinned.

"How are you tonight, love?" she said seductively.

"Fucking fantastic… Just admiring a beautiful voice" he replied. "And a beautiful view." he said with a wink and tilting his head to the side slightly. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She was a beautiful woman. The red dress she wore hugged her curves and complimented her breasts nicely. Without really thinking I said,

"Nice set this evening ma'am…of songs I mean." Oh gosh. I'm such an embarrassment. Magnolia chuckled in a husky tone.

"Well aren't you two cute. What can I do for you, young man?"

"I was hoping to hear another one of your lovely songs. If you wouldn't mind." He asked with an irresistible smirk.

"Well, I was planning on retiring for the night but, for you…I'll make an exception." Magnolia got up from her chair and stroked his cheek with the back of her fingers, pausing at his chin before pulling her hand away and walking slowly up the stage's steps. Blue went up to the bar.

"Oy! Charlie! Two shots!"

"Of?" The robot said sounding a bit annoyed.

"Whatever you got!" yelled Blue. "Actually, the strongest you got!" he added. Blue picked up the two glasses and handed one to me.

"Dance with me." He said as background music started for the song Magnolia was about to sing. I laughed. "What?"

"Dance with me." he repeated. "Come on. It'll be fun." He threw his head back taking a shot of…Whatever he had ordered. Blue made a face and then reached his hand out, waiting for me to take it. I looked up at his eyes and melted. There was no way I could say no to him. I quickly took the shot of…I want to say vodka but i'm not entirely convinced it wasn't just rubbing alcohol, and then took his hand as he helped me out of my chair. He didn't let go as he dragged me to the middle of the room. Blue placed his free hand on my hip and let go of my hand to place his palm on my other side. I set my hands on his chest level with his heart and slid them up to wrap around his neck. We were both a little drunk and we both had no idea what we were doing but neither of us cared much. As Magnolia started singing I could feel Blue start moving back and forth. He was taller than me so every time I went to look him in the eye my chin rested against his chest. We swayed, not really moving much, for what felt like forever. Towards the end of the song he leant his head down and rested his forehead against my own. When the song officially ended nothing changed. We stayed in each other's arms for a while longer before I came to my senses and whispered in his ear,

"Time for bed, Blue."

"Alright" Blue replied softly. I felt his hands fall off of me. He gently held my arm as we headed up the stairs and left the Third Rail. We went into Hotel Rexford and before I could really say anything he got a single room.

When we got to the room he pulled me in and again placed his forehead against mine but this time leaning a little closer causing our noses to rub together. I saw him, out of the corner of my eye, kick the door with his foot to close it and heard it slam shut behind us. He was leaning in for a kiss when I pulled back unexpectedly, even to myself. Nate was strong and handsome, not to mention incredibly sweet. Besides his past he was practically perfect. And that's why I thought to myself that this couldn't be real. Why would someone like him ever want someone like me? Also, it wasn't right. I hadn't know Nate long enough

"Blue… You're drunk. Don't do something you'll regret." I said quietly and sad. He stepped back quickly.

"Regret? No. Never." he stated quickly. "Two things. One, I'm not drunk. If I was drunk could I do this." He smiled and then attempted to stand on one foot but struggled with his balance and fell to land on both feet.

"Okay, bad example. That's—that's hard to begin with." I laughed and looked at him sideways before saying,

"I'm not—This isn't something you want Blue. I don't want you to wake up in the morning and be disapp—"

"Two, If this isn't what you want I completely understand. I respect what you decide but, don't assume it's not what I want. I am of sound mind and I know exactly what i'm doing." He smiled and took another step back. Blue quickly walked back up to me and kissed me gently on the forehead. I didn't say a word as he walked backwards and placed a hand on the door knob.

"Goodnight Piper. I'm sorry." He looked down at his feet and then looked back up and said, "I'm going to go get another room. I'll see you in the morning." The door opened and closed, and then he was gone. And me? I so desperately wanted him to come back.

Note: Merry Christmas Guys! Hope you like this next chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this one. But then again, pieces of this were written off of sleep brain. I plan on doing a big time jump after this chapter. However, i've considered writing Nate's reaction to his drunken actions the next morning. So i'll leave it up to you guys. If anyone would like to read that let me know in the comments. Otherwise I'll be jumping several months because i'm overly eager.


	4. Chapter 4

Note: Sorry this chapter took forever. It's also extra long and I guess I could have cut it up but eh. I did end up writing Nate's reaction but I do have a time jump after it. Sorry.

SEXUAL CONTENT! D: It's rather brief in my opinion but skip if that's not for you.

Also SPOILERS FOR:

\- If you've never been to Hotel Rexford.

\- Vault 81/Hole in the Wall

POV: Nate

Waking up in the wasteland seemed either hit-or-miss for me. Some mornings I'd wake up freezing and trying to huddle under my blanket for warmth. Some mornings, like the one spent at Piper's were calm and peaceful. Then again, the past few months or so since I had left vault 111, I had hardly slept at all. The only times I really went to sleep were when my body could no longer carry on or I was forced to make camp. So, I wasn't really surprised when I woke up with a pounding headache. Most mornings were shitty.

I couldn't focus on anything. I felt like a super mutant had clonked me over the head with a super sledge. Light streamed in through a window and I pulled my blanket up over my head. I was indisputably hungover. I saw no point in getting out of bed until I felt like I was going to be sick. Eventually, I rummaged through my bag and put on a flannel and some jeans. There was no purpose to putting on armor today. I was too out of it. Plus, I don't even think I'd be able to manage the buckles on the leather pieces. I was surprised I was able to get my armor off last night… last night. What the hell happened last night? I sat on the edge of my bed trying to remember. Everything was a bit hazy. I remembered bits and pieces but going through Kellogg's memories was something I wasn't about to easily forget. Then I went to a bar with Piper—Fuck.

I quickly got up and left my room. Thoughts and scenarios flooded my brain and unfortunately thinking of any kind or sort just made my head ache. There was no way I could stop thinking though. I came on to Piper last night, and pretty aggressively when I thought about it. Oh god, she probably hates me. How could I have been such an idiot? You'd think my college days would of made me learn to be a more responsible drunk but no. Part of me was scared Piper would be angry at me but then another part of me felt that the worst that could happen would be constant teasing on her part. I could live with that.

It took me a while to realize I didn't know where I was going. I didn't have the foggiest idea as to where she was. I needed to apologize but I didn't remember the room number. But none of that would matter if she wasn't there. I wouldn't blame her if she got out of Goodneighbor while I was out of it. I went down to the lobby in hopes that maybe the woman at the front desk could help me out. As I walked down the stairs I paused when I saw her. Piper was in the lobby talking to a ghoul wearing a yellow trenchcoat and fedora. I walked down the rest of the stairs quickly.

"Piper" I said causing her to turn around at warp speed.

"Blue…h-hey, hi. Nate." She stuttered over her words and I could tell she was nervous. She kept fidgeting with her hands and would not tilt her head up to look me in the eyes. I didn't blame her. But she had no reason to be nervous. I was the one who fucked up.

"Piper, well…I was hoping we could talk for a minute I owe you an—" Before I could really finish the ghoul she was talking to reached out and grabbed my arm.

"What? No, it can't…It…It's…it's YOU! From Sanctuary Hills, right!?" The ghoul asked practically yelling. He looked familiar and it took me a moment to remember.

"Wait. Are you from Vault-Tec?" I asked curiously and confused.

"Yes! Yes I am. Twenty years of loyal service and now look at me. I wasn't on the list. But you. Look at you. Two hundred years and you're still perfect! How? How's that possible?"

"I..was in cryogenic stasis. I only thawed out recently. But trust me, I'm far from perfect." I quickly glanced at Piper who had apparently been focusing on me as we talked. "The war, the bombs, two hundred years…going through something like what we've gone through…it isn't easy. I'm—I'm so sorry. I didn't know this would happen."

"You know…you're the only other person I met from…before. I uh…I…" The man looked down at his shoes. It was hard to read his expressions due to his damaged facial muscles but I could tell he was sad. "Oh god…I've been so alone here!"

"Hey, come to back to Sanctuary. I turned it into a settlement after I woke up from vault 111. There isn't anyone else that's from before the war…well besides Codsworth. But, I'll come visit. I promise."

"Really? You…you will? Okay, I will…Thank you."

I gave him a smile before he left and then turned to face Piper. I was about to say something but she hugged me.

"uuh…Piper. I think you got this all wrong. Maybe traditions have changed in two hundred years but I'm pretty sure you're suppose to slap me not hug me."

"Sorry" she said letting go of me. "I just, can't get over you sometimes. I-I mean the things you do. You're just so nauseatingly perfect."

"Don't-Don't say that. Like I said. I'm not perfect. I'm broken…and a jerk. And I need to apologize for last night. I was completely out of line."

"No you 'don't'. Blue you're over reacting. Last night wasn't a big deal. Don't worry about it. You were drunk. I, uh, know you didn't mean any of that stuff last night."

"But I did…At the time. I don't know. Shit! I don't want to ruin this."

"It wasn't all you…" she added trailing off. I didn't have much time to process her last words before she spoke again.

"Let's just forget about it, okay."

"Yea…Yea okay." I replied. "Hang on, how are you not hungover right now?" I asked pinching the bridge of my nose in an attempt to ease my migraine.

"Uh, well for one I didn't drink as much."

"What? No. Yes you did. You drank as much as I did." She laughed before saying,

"Blue, you don't remember much about last night do you?" I shook my head and didn't say anything. We were silent for a while before Piper broke it.

"So I keep hearing about this Sanctuary. When am I gonna get to see it? huh? Or is it like top secret?" She teased tilting her head to the side. I gave her a smile.

"Oh very. I'm afraid you need clearance to enter" I said sarcastically.

After a bit more talking I headed back to my room to get my stuff. We were heading to Sanctuary. While I packed I thought about what she told me. For one she had told me that I wasn't the only one who felt something last night. But perhaps, I was just reading into it. Piper also was never as drunk as me. Well, maybe she was drunk but I got wasted. And maybe those two facts together meant something. If Piper really was in more control and she really considered what almost happened between us then maybe there was hope for us yet. And I was starting to think that 'us' is something I really wanted.

—

POV: Nate

The past few months have been hell. Trying to figure out how to hack the Institute's signal had been an ordeal. But Piper has been a godsend. She even went into the glowing sea with me. I wouldn't even want to go into the glowing fucking sea with me. The place is a desert of radiation and deathclaws. I'm not really sure why she volunteered for that one. Nick offered due to his whole being made of metal and inability to take radiation deal. But, Piper was actually eager and how could I say no. I've learned to be a little less protective over her as time has gone on. I know she can take care of her self. Nonetheless, when going into the glowing sea, I wore power armor while I made her take all the Rad-X and RadAway I could find _and_ I made her wear a hazmat suit under a superior model of power armor than what I had. She protested at the excessiveness, but I insisted.

After two deathclaws, several packs of feral ghouls, and a strange cult calling themselves the 'Children of Atom', we finally stumbled upon a scientist named Virgil who helped me discover how to get into the Institute using data from a courser chip. Unfortunately, in order to travel there I needed some more help. I knew that it probably wasn't the best thing to do but I ended up joining the Minuteman, the Railroad, and the Brotherhood of Steel. Piper didn't like me joining up with the Brotherhood but I hoped this wouldn't be a permanent arrangement anyway. I was desperate to find anyone to help me find my son. So, now we were out looking for supplies needed for this 'teleporter'.

Nights in the commonwealth could get quite cold, especially being so close to the sea. I looked over at Piper who was rubbing her hands together and breathing on them in a weak attempt to warm herself up.

"Why don't we stop for a bit. I can make a fire." I stated almost as a question.

"No, it's okay. I mean i'm fine. u-unless _you're_ not. Otherwise we can stop. I—"

"I'll make a fire." I laughed. She could be so adorable sometimes. She sat down cross legged on the ground watching me intently with her head cocked to the side in curiosity as I gathered wood and kindling. I found a plank a little to long and broke it down with my foot. She jumped a little when it snapped in half. I pulled out a flip lighter I found in an abandoned building and I struggled at the thumbwheel. It wouldn't budge. I couldn't even get it to make sparks. "Fuck." I muttered under my breath and tossed the lighter to my left. "Back to the basics then." I said looking up at Piper and then back down. I grabbed the straightest stick I could find and began using my hands to rotate it to create friction. Piper looked at me a bit funny.

"Watcha doing Blue?"

"Making a fire…or trying to anyways." I said lamely. She laughed and said,

"Here. Let me." She took the stick from my hand brushing her fingers against mine making me shiver. Piper put the stick back in the pile.

"Let me show you a little wasteland trick." She gave me a smile as she turned and started rummaging through her bag. She eventually found what she was looking for taking out a battery and a pack of gum.

"Here, chew this." She said unwrapping a piece of gum and handing it to me.

"Umm…Okay." I wasn't sure where she was going with this but I obliged. She fiddled with the wrapper and then placed each end against the battery. The small piece of metal and paper started to smoke and she leaned down and blew on it softly causing it to catch flame. She quickly placed it on the kindling I gathered. In less than a minute we had a full blown campfire. I watched her as she grinned in victory. She was always beautiful, but there was something about her smile that just made me melt. She noticed my stare.

"What?" She asked with a laugh.

"Nothing"

"You were staring."

"Just…thinking." I said simply. She rolled her eyes and directed her attention to the fire. She put her hands out to feel the heat but still shivered every once in a while. I went to my bag. Since leaving Vault 111 I had made a few caps to my name and acquired many new things. For some reason though, I found it difficult to part with the tattered blanket Codsworth had given me. After having my world unravel, the shaking, the cold—It was literally my security blanket. It had made me feel safe. Even if was just a brief release from the weights on my shoulders. I pulled it out of my bag and used my free hand to slightly pick myself up and scoot closer to Piper. I draped it over her back. I hated the cold. It wasn't something I wanted her to feel. Piper lifted up her head in surprise when I let go of the fabric. I just stared at the fire. It wasn't a big deal.

"Blue…" I heard her say softly. I didn't say anything. I didn't need to. She moved closer to me and was practically sitting in my lap. And almost as if she read my earlier thoughts said,

"I don't want you to be cold either." She took part of the blanket and tried to share it but it was a small. She rested her hand on my back to keep the material from falling off of me. We sat there for a long time, both of us just staring at the many waves and lines of the flames. At some point she rested her head on my shoulder. It took all the strength I had to gently shake her and tell her we had to go.

—

POV: Piper

The sun was still out but it was cloudy making it rather dark. The wind was strong and felt like ice. Which is one of the reasons why I just wanted to stay huddled next to Blue. The second reason was well, I wanted to be huddled next to Blue. But I knew sooner or later we'd have to keep going. We only made camp for about an hour or so before we went on scavenging. We walked for a long time looking through various abandoned pre-war buildings and were thinking about calling it quits for the day and heading back to a settlement but we came across a broken metal fence.

There were a few decaying shacks within the area and a van in the middle but the thing that caught Nate's eye was a little white trailer of sorts that had 'Vault-Tec' printed on the side of it. Without warning Nate darted towards the trailer and looked inside. I stood motionless watching from a distance in the center of the complex next to a small abandoned cooking station as he tussled about looking for something. He came back out and jumped down from the ramp not bothering to take the time to walk down it. He got down on his hands and knees near my feet and started frantically using his hands to move around leaves and dirt.

"Where? Where is it?" He looked upset and I got down on my knees to help him look.

"What are we looking for?" I asked realizing I wasn't actually sure.

"The trailer, it's just like—A vault. There should be a…." He trailed off as he looked around and noticed a cave to his left. He stood up and walked towards the cave, pausing at its entrance. The cave had a red sign above it with the words 'Restricted Area' fading on it.

"This…isn't your vault." I said trying to piece together where we were.

"No, I don't know what vault this is. Mine had a hatch in the ground leading to the interior…not a cave." He turned to me with a worried look and said,

"Look, I don't know what's in there. Place could be filled with ghouls or worse. But I have to go inside. Vault-Tec and there sick experiments—If I…If there's anyone in there still alive that needs help like I did I have to help them. W-what if there are more people trapped in those pods… You don't have to come with me. But this is something I need to do."

I didn't know what to say. I admired his need to help people. But I had heard some awful stories of people who escaped from vaults. For one, Nate's vault. But there were also rumors of a vault where plants had taken over, vaults with insane amounts of radiation, and a vault filled with psychoactive drugs pumped throughout the ventilation system. Not to mention the cautionary tale of the man from Vault 77 who was locked away with nothing but a box of puppets causing him to become mad and go on a murderous rampage after finally escaping. People knew to stay away from vaults and I knew so too. But, I also knew that this was personal for Nate. I wasn't about to let him wander into possible danger in such a fragile state without me by his side. I didn't really want him to go anywhere without me by his side.

"I'm not going anywhere. If you go in there were going in together." I gave him a nod and he gave me a half smile. He pulled out his combat rifle and stepped into the cave. It was dark and I saw him reach for his Pip-boy light but the darkness ended quickly as we walked into a open room with various items painted blue and yellow. In the back of the room there was a large vault door with the number '81' written on it.

"Vault 81…" I said. Blue turned to me as I continued. "I've heard of this place. The Vault dwellers here are secluded. They keep to themselves. As far as I know there's no danger but… then again not a lot of people have been inside." After listening to me Blue holstered his weapon and wandered up to a yellow control panel in which he proceeded to take something from his Pip-boy and plug it in. I pulled my own gun out when the casing surrounding a red button popped up.

"It's okay." He said in a soothing tone. "Just the mechanism."

He could tell I was a bit jumpy. I was pretty sure this vault wasn't dangerous but I couldn't keep my mind from wandering. Blue punched the button with his fist and then looked up expectantly. When nothing happened I looked over to him.

"Hold it right there." A voice came from the panel causing us to both flinch. "Vault 81 Security. I don't know where you got your hands on a working Pip-boy, but you better start talking." Blue talked with the man over the intercom and told him that he meant no harm to the vault. Initially they wanted us to pay entrance with fusion cores but Blue being his charming self managed to talk us in using his position as a fellow vault dweller of vault 111. As soon as we ventured further into the vault a small boy around the age of 10 or 11 named Austin ran up to us. Nate humored the boy and gave him five caps to give us a tour of the vault.

I could tell by the way Nate's face lit up that he was enjoying it. I knew that it mostly had to do with the fact that the boy must have reminded him of his son. It was cute watching him interact with the children at the vault's school. I listened intently as he told the kids a story, that I had never actually heard, of how he met Preston Garvey, became a minuteman, saved a group of settlers from raiders, and a deathclaw he battled with nothing but a rusted suit of power armor and minigun he tore off a vertibird. Blue was handsome, adventurous, and even dangerous. I knew he was probably exaggerating for the kids but you never knew with him and I hung on every word he said. Blue seemed satisfied at the vault. We both went in expecting the worst but now seeing it all; I could tell it gave him some sort of relief. From all the time I've traveled with Nate he's proved to be excellent at helping others through combat. Which is why I found it rather humorous when he volunteered to find a girl's cat that had wandered out of the vault.

"That was sweet of you." I said as we left the cave and started walking down a hill looking for a little grey cat. "You're always sweet." I added causing him to laugh. Blue was always so modest.

"Thanks but, that is if I can actually find this cat. Here kitty, kitty!" he yelled. I just watched him for a bit as he tried so hard to find the lost animal. They really didn't make them like they used to. I shook my head and figured I should probably help. It would be dark soon and we didn't want to be stuck out here all night. I knew Blue would never give up until he found it, dead or alive. And if the prior he would beat himself up for something he couldn't possibly have prevented.

"Ashes!" I yelled. "Here kitty!" I made a clicking noise out the side of my mouth in hopes it would summon the cat. To my surprise I heard a distant 'meow' and Blue and I followed the sound in a sprint.

"Heyyy Ashes" Blue said reaching out his hand to pet the cat. It hissed at him and backed away.

"Careful Blue…" I warned. He nodded and slowly went to pick up the cat. It jumped up and latched on to his arm digging its claws into his flesh and drawing blood.

"Fucking…" He cursed as he fell onto his back while trying to avoid the assault. Blue and I were both used to things attacking but neither of us really knew what to do when we couldn't injure our attacker or talk them down.

"Hold on Blue!" I yelled as I ran over to him and tried to pry the cat off him. When I reached out the cat instantly detached and let me pick it up. Once I got a hold of it I took several steps back, away from Nate. He remained lying on the ground for several moments before saying.

"Well… that proves it. I am officially a dog person." I laughed a little too hard as I watched him get up. We headed back to the vault; I did so a little cocky. I couldn't help but tease him over the fact that the cat like me and not him. When we got back to the vault we took Ashes straight to the girl who had lost it. It was around 7:00 PM, Blue and I considered spending the night here in the vault if they'd let us and leave in the morning. First though, I insisted that Blue get his cuts treated just in case. I was nervous that it would get infected and his arm would fall off or something.

"Piper, it really isn't that bad." he said trying to avoid the doctors.

"Come on Blue! I know it isn't worth wasting a stimpak but I still want to make sure it doesn't get infected. Please. It'll—" I stopped talking as we got closer to the clinic and heard all sorts of yelling. We walked into the room.

"We have an emergency here! Austin got bitten by a molerat! Isn't that enough Jacob! There can't be that many molerat diseases or toxins." Yelled an elderly woman that we had both met earlier as the boy Austin's grandmother.

"These aren't ordinary molerats. Who knows what kind of diseases they're carrying." A man in a lab coat replied that could only be the doctor. There was one other man in the room. He was younger and wore a Blue jumpsuit like most in the vault. His face looked rather gaunt like I had seen from people who used chems.

"Dr. Forsythe! Please! I think I found something that could help Austin." The boy pleaded. The boy went on about a secret room he had found and a possible vaccine to the illness Austin had. Blue and I had remained silent the entire time, not wanting to interrupt. Eventually though, Dr. Penske, Austin's grandmother, asked us if we would be willing to help save her boy. As usual, Blue volunteered with hesitation. And as usual, he told me I didn't have to come.

"This is dangerous Piper" He said, "This isn't just a matter of staying alive. Either of us could become infected." We stood just outside the door to the secret section of the vault as he gave me an out as he always does.

"Blue, how many times do I have to tell you. You're not getting rid of me that easy." He laughed at that and unexpectedly pulled me in for an embrace. Nate pulled back slowly before saying, "Stay behind me okay. And step only where I step." He kissed me on the forehead as he had only done once before a few months back and then opened the door walking in with his gun at the ready. I stood there a little dumbstruck but then quickly followed. I knew he wouldn't risk me getting hurt. We traveled through the vault at a rapid pace. For a while we saw no sign of danger which made me nervous. Out of nowhere several molerats burrowed out of the ground. But as soon as they appeared they were dead. Blue was quick as he was accurate. It was one of the many traits he had that made me feel safe.

We continued and came across several terminals in which we could over hear voices from the other side of the vault. Just like all the others, Vault 81 was subject to one of Vault-Tec's twisted experiments. The inhabitants were supposed to be exposed to various viruses in an attempt to find a cure to all diseases. I noble cause as a whole but the entire thing was just wrong. Thank god the overseer of the vault had a change of heart otherwise this vault might not have been as thriving as we found it today.

After a while we came into a room with cages. It must of been where they kept the molerats before things got out of hand. Somewhat stupidly I stepped inside one of the cages off the path that Nate had taken. I looked around and noticed a blue food bowl with chew marks around the edges. The interior of the cage was covered in dirt and I could see a hole in which a molerat had previously burrowed. Rather suddenly, the ground moved. I didn't have much time to react before Blue pulled me away, accidentally causing me to hit the ground as he quickly traded places with me stepping into the cage. I lost sight of Blue and heard two shots. Seeing as the molerats don't have guns I figured Blue must of one that fight.

"You okay?" Blue asked crouching down slightly and grabbing my hand to help pull me up.

"Yea."

"Did it bite you?" He asked a little worried. I ran my hand down my body before shaking my head left and right.

"No, I'm good."

"Okay, let's keep moving then." I was expecting more. For him to yell at me. Tell me to be more careful next time. How I could have gotten myself killed. But he didn't. I did notice however, he had doubled his guard. That was the type of man Nate was. He never blamed anyone or yelled at anyone. Instead, he would just try harder, even if it wasn't his mistake in the first place.

Finally, we came to a room where we found a silverish white robot named Curie. She spoke in a soft French accent, where if she wasn't a Mr. Handy I might have been a bit jealous at the attention Blue gave her. Curie gave us the cure we came for but we were disappointed to discover there was only one dose left. Thankfully, only Austin had been infected but it would have been useful in case anyone else fell ill as well. Blue took the cure and we hurried back to the clinic through an elevator the vault believed to be inactive. We wanted to get the cure to Austin as quick as we could. The boy didn't have much time left.

"The cure! You found it!" Exclaimed Dr. Forsythe as we ran into the room.

"Here. Take the cure." Blue said handing the syringe to the man. The doctor walked over to where Austin was and injected it into the boys arm. I looked away as he did it. I saw a lot of gore during my travels with Blue but there was just something about needles that bothered me. I never looked, even when I gave myself a stimpak. The doctor told us he didn't know how long the cure would take but Blue sat down in a chair and waited for the boy to wake up. I pulled up a seat next to him and we both sat there for almost an hour, mostly in silence. Every once in a while Blue would fidget uncomfortably. After, the boy stirred and I called the doctor while Blue stayed with him. Austin was going to be okay. And it was thanks to us. Blue was very determined to find his son but that never stopped him from reaching out a hand and helping someone else in need. No matter how many times we helped someone I always felt weird. All those years of sitting behind a desk and writing about the millions of issues the commonwealth had…Now I was with someone that helped me actually fix those issues. I was happy. And that wasn't exactly the most common thing in the wasteland.

The doctor told us Austin needed some rest and that we should leave for now. Neither of us argued and left without a fuss. The overseer came up to us and told us we were welcome to stay anytime we'd like. It was late. Almost nine. I was about to say thank you and explain our plan about staying the night and leaving in the morning but Blue interrupted.

"Thank you, but we have to head out now. I'll be sure to come back some other time and check on how Austin is doing though." I was confused but I followed Blue. We said our goodbyes and headed out of the vault.

"Should we head to Oberland station or Diamond City?" I asked looking up at the sky. It was dark and looked like it might rain soon. We had to make camp somewhere. Both were nearby. Blue didn't answer. I looked up and noticed he was leaning against the side of the cave, had a far off gaze, and his jaw was clenched.

"Blue?" I said a little worried. He made a little exasperated sound through clenched teeth. He shook his head and said,

"What? Sorry I missed that." I repeated my question looking his face up and down for any indication of what was wrong.

"Uh, Oberland. If we head to Diamond City we'll be heading through buildings. If we head to Oberland it's more open. Less likely we'll run into danger."

"Okay" I agreed. We started heading to the settlement. It was unusual for Blue to base his decisions off of their degree of danger. He took everything as a challenge of sorts. If he really was wanting to avoid any form of danger then he must of had a reason and that made me nervous. We walked for a long time and before we knew it, it started raining on us and the sky turned green. Rad storm.

"Shit" I said, "If we hurry we can make it to the settlement in twenty minutes or so!" I yelled over the sound of thunder. I looked over at Blue. His face was pale and void of all color. He had wandered to an abandoned pre-war train a few feet away from where I stood. The train had a broken open section and all that was inside was a slightly ripped mattress and some jet. It was most likely an abandoned site that a few raiders had left behind. Blue placed his hand on the side of the train and placed his other hand on his knee. He was bent over breathing heavily. I watched as he crouched and spat up blood. I immediately ran over to him and steadied him as he was about to fall over.

"Piper, I-I'm really sorry but I need you to do s-something for me." He said a little shaky. I looked him over. He was sick. I didn't know what was wrong. I wanted to help.

"Yea, yea, yea. Of course. Anything." I said quickly.

"First, we have to get out of the storm." He pulled away and tried to climb up into the little structure the train provided. He had a hard time pulling himself up but managed to roll onto the platform. I pulled my self up to join him. Blue was wearing a white laundered shirt with a bomber's jacket over it. He struggled to get the jacket off but couldn't. I kneeled down and helped him get it off. It wasn't until he removed his jacket did I see the blood. He was bleeding out through his shirt, staining the entirety red.

"Oh my god. Blue what happened?!" I asked in a panic. Blue attempted to reach for his bag. Pawing at it but lacking the ability to actual do anything.

"Piper, In my bag. I have a medical kit. White. Can you get it please." I didn't want to leave his side but I got up and quickly went through his bag until I found it and then hurriedly back to him.

"I know this won't exactly be easy, but just know I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate." He said as he slowly lifted his shirt showing deep bite marks on the upper right portion of his abdomen.

"The wound is deep. And I need to stop the bleeding. I need you to stitch the wound closed. Can you do that for me?" He managed to spit out before resting his head against the floor in a thump. I didn't say anything. Instead I helped pull off his shirt over his head and opened the medical kit. My brain was on auto-pilot. There was everything I needed for the stitches and some gauze but I needed to clean the wound. I went back to his bag and looked for anything that could be useful. In the end, I came back with a bottle of moonshine. It was better than nothing.

"I'm going to apologize in advance. This is going to hurt." I took the cap off of the bottle and slowly poured some on a piece of gauze. I put pressure on the bite with the gauze causing him to scream out it pain. I myself winced in sympathy and took one of my hands and placed it on his chest trying to calm him. I took my hand back quickly though and continued to apply pressure. To the best of my ability I cleaned the wound and then one handedly reached into the kit to pull out a needle and the medical thread while keeping my other hand on him with firm pressure. When I was ready I released my hand and prepared to start stitching the wound.

My hands were shaking. I wasn't a doctor. I wasn't sure I could do this. Never once had I thought maybe joining Blue on his adventures was a bad idea. I always knew it could be dangerous but I didn't care much. But for once I regretted it. Not because I feared for my own safety but because I feared for his. Maybe if he traveled with someone else this wouldn't have happened. Maybe if he traveled with someone else they would actually know how to treat an injury or at least have fucking steady hands! What the hell was I doing? I'm a journalist. I don't know how to do any of this stuff. What was I thinking? I knew what I was getting myself into. But now, I was just so utterly terrified that the man I loved could possibly die because i'm an imbecile. Yes, loved. I don't know when it happened. There were so many moments where I was in love with his words or his actions that somewhere along that line it blended with just loving him. I took a deep breath. and closed my eyes before opening them again and starting. He grunted in pain a few times but eventually resulted to just violent breathing instead.

"What the hell, Blue!" I screamed at him while still working. He muttered something incoherently that I didn't hear.

"This was a molerat bite… You're infected aren't you?" I asked more as an observation.

"Yes" he replied simply. I carefully finished the last stitch and used the scissors in the medical kit to cut the thread.

"Then why didn't you fucking say something! Fuck you! You asshole! We could have stayed at the vault clinic!" I yelled throwing the tools back into the box angrily.

"Didn't want them to know I was hurt. Those people…they see such little kindness. They didn't need this guilt…I'm sorry Piper. I didn't think I was this bad." He said. I was surprised at the amount of words he managed. I figured he wouldn't be able to talk much given his condition. He was apparently better than I thought however. I took another piece of gauze and used medical tape to cover his stitches. He groaned a bit as I did.

"You got this while saving me didn't you?" I asked. He didn't respond. "And the vial…it was the only dose of the cure. And still you gave it to the boy. You could have saved yourself, but you didn't."

"You know me." He said giving me a little weak smirk with his eyes closed. "I'm sorry Piper." He said when I didn't respond. I didn't say anything. We sat under the little metal roof the train provided while it rained hard outside with radiation. We were there a long time and the storm didn't seem to want to let up. I sat in silence as Blue tried to apologize every few minutes and eventually he was able to sit up. Since I stopped the bleeding he gave himself a stimpak and was able to move around a bit but was still pretty fragile.

"Will you please talk to me." He said after a while. I had ignored all of his apologies and I don't know what it was about this particular time, maybe the tone in his voice but I finally responded.

"Fine. You want me to say something." I said standing up as I did.

"Yes. Please. Just talk to me." He replied also shakily standing up. I was angry but I still reached out and grabbed his arm to steady him before letting go quickly.

"I am so pissed off." Blue opened his mouth to say something but I stopped him.

"No. You wanted me to say something so now you're going to shut up and listen. I hate the fact that you're the kind of guy who is selfless and caring. I hate that you'd help anyone that asks. I hate that you're the type of guy who would put others before himself!" Blue looked at me a bit confused but didn't try to interrupt.

"I hate it! Because it makes me love you. And I hate that! Because if I do then it makes it all the more difficult to watch you die!" I finished and it wasn't until then I realized I was crying. I covered my face with one hand and sobbed into it. Blue didn't hesitate. He pulled me into an embrace and squeezed me tight.

"Whoa. Hey. Where is this coming from? I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere. I can't leave you. I love you. Okay? I fine. I promise."

He kissed my forehead and lingered slightly. Unsure of what to do. He trailed down and kissed my nose and slid his head down to rest his forehead against mine. He hovered over my lips and paused. I closed my eyes and pushed my head against his a bit harder as if to give him incentive. He closed the distance between us and softly kissed me. He was gentle and sweet. He smelled like leather and his mouth tasted a little like blood which made me grimace at the thought of his injury. But as soon as we broke apart for air he got a little rougher and I forgot my thoughts.

He pushed me up against the metal wall, although careful not to hurt me and held my hands above my head as he kissed me passionately. I felt useless. I wanted to move my hands, wanted to do something. As soon as he let go of my hands I brought them down and ran them over his bare chest and stomach. I explored his body, feeling every muscle, every scar. I felt the area of the wound I had just treated and quickly pulled my hand away. At the same time he attempted to take off my jacket but I stopped him.

"Whoa…whoa. What are we doing?" I asked a little breathless. I was still pressed against the wall and his face hovered over mine.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away there. I never want to make you feel like I'm forcing—" He pulled away from me but I gripped his shoulders and pulled him back.

"No, no, no. That's not what I meant at all. I meant, you almost died. You're still healing. We can't…"

"Oh…" He said with a small frown. He looked like he was thinking for a long time before he made a small, sweet smile. "Don't worry about that" He said leaning back in slightly to kiss my neck. I made a small involuntary gasp and grabbed at the back of his neck.

"Do I have your permission?" He asked whispering into my ear. I was unable to form words but out of some miracle I managed to say "Yes" He picked me up a laid me on the ripped mattress under the enclosure gently. I reached out to touch him but he took my arms and held them down again.

"Do you remember the first words I ever spoke to you?" He said hovering over me, face level with mine." I thought back for a minute before responding.

"Yea. I was locked out of Diamond City. I used you to get inside." I said a little embarrassed as he took off my clothes one by one throwing them into a pile until I was completely naked. He was still wearing pants but he was shirtless since I had taken it off to perform our little makeshift surgery. He kissed me again before saying,

"But do you remember my exact words?" He kissed down my neck and paused right before my breast. I was aching and needed some sort of release and was waiting for him to continue but he never did. I looked down and saw him staring at me. He was waiting for my response.

"No, no I don't remember." I said as if I were begging him. He smiled and placed his mouth on my chest and sucking softly. I let out a moan at the contact. It didn't matter if we were loud. We were in the middle of nowhere with a storm blowing just outside this little cover we had. But at that moment I could care less if we were smack dab in the middle of Diamond City. Nate continued but eventually he stopped again. He kissed down making me ache with every touch. I realized he had finally let go of my hands at some point and I reached down to touch him but realized I could only really dig my fingers in his hair and nothing much else. I watched him work down my body before he glanced up to look me in the eyes.

"Yea. The first time we met was at Diamond City. You were right. But the first thing I ever said to you…it's the only thing that means anything to me right now. And I mean it in so many ways." He kissed my inner thigh causing me to shiver.

"I mean it in the way that _yes_ , I will put my own safety at risk if it means protecting you and I mean it in the way that I will _never_ hurt you. Because back in Diamond City, the first thing I ever said to you was 'you first'. And I take that to heart, because you will always come first to me Piper Wright." He moved back up my body and cupped my face in his hands while I wrapped my arms around his neck before he kissed me again. I tried to say words but nothing came out which was odd. Words had always sort of been my thing but yet here I am and I've found a guy who literally made me speechless. He saw me thinking of what to say.

"You don't have to say anything. And don't worry about me." He added noticing me look down at his wound. "Tonight…You first." And with that he went back between my legs and without warning worked his tongue against my sensitive flesh. I gasped and moaned and screamed out in ecstasy as he moved faster. I screamed 'Nathan!' in raspy voice which surprised myself. I had never used his full name before. I had never even called him Nate, save once or twice. I was full of surprises that night. I had never been with a man before and the unfamiliar touch felt strangely blissful.

I would have come undone rather quickly and embarrassingly but he would bring me to the brink and then stop abruptly. I moaned longingly for him to continue every time. He dragged out my release torturously until I felt his movements go tired. He used the rest of his strength to bring me over the edge. I silently screamed while gripping his hair and arching my back slightly, throwing my head back breathily. I came down from high and slowly released my grip on him and relaxed my body. He collapsed below me and turned to lay on his back. We both laid there breathing heavily for a while before he rolled back over and crawled up my body and rested next to me but leaving his head burrowed into my neck. It took me several moments to be able to think straight. I had never felt that kind of pleasure before and I don't think he was even aware of that. I noticed he was pressing against his jeans so I shifted and slipped my fingers under his waste band and used my free hand to try and undo the buckle of his belt.

"Let me do something for you." I said with a weak voice that I can only assume I lost from my audible reactions. He reached down and softly grabbed my hand stopping my action.

"I, uh, as much as i'd love to…I don't think I can handle anything myself right now." He said as he briefly ran his left fingers over the gauze covering part of his torso. I nodded in acknowledgment. Any real movement of his lower body could break the stitches and then we'd have another problem. I felt a little guilty I couldn't return the favor. He noticed this and in response said, "You know what I would love?" I turned my head to the side a little. There was no way I could use my voice.

"To just… lay here. Next to you. And forget about everything else…just for a little while." I looked at him and noticed his eyes were already closed. I rested against him to show my acceptance. It was dark outside and thunder would crackle every once in a while. Normally, these were the nights i'd spend lying awake at night. Unable to sleep…too scared. But Blue's arm was wrapped around me and I felt more relaxed than I had felt in years.

—-

POV: Piper

"Wakey wakey, Blue. Come on. Time to move." It was still a while before sunrise but the movement of footsteps and a far away yell woke me. I rushed to put on my clothes and looked around with minor effort before discovering the source was only a caravan gone of course. The storm had stopped in our sleep. It was still dark but the sky had an extremely dim foggy light to it. As much as I wanted to just crawl back on the mattress and curl up next to Blue, I knew we needed to get going. He needed a little more professional medical attention than what I was able to give.

He mumbled incoherently as I gently shook him. He didn't move and I became a little worried. I glanced down at his stomach and noticed dark purplish black veins running past the frame of his bandage. He was very pale. After all that happened I forgot Nate was _infected_ by the creature. It wasn't merely a flesh wound. He needed a doctor. But first I needed him to wake up. There was no way I could carry him anywhere.

"Blue… Please, wake up. I need you to help me here." Before he would at least mutter things but now he was completely quiet and motionless which terrified me. I knew I shouldn't of but I shook him a bit harder and ran my hands along his face and neck.

"Nathan! Come on! Don't do this to me!" I started to panic. I didn't know what to do. If he was unconscious I couldn't take him anywhere and he was unconscious because I couldn't.

"I'll be right back." I left the shelter of the abandoned train and went running in the direction of the caravan I had heard. They hadn't gone far.

"Excuse me! Please, I need your help! My companion is badly injured and—"

"Lady, do I look like some voodoo healer to you?" said one of the caravan men. He was tall but scrawny and just being near him you could smell he had a drink of choice.

"I'm not asking for you to heal him, just help take us to the nearest settlement." He looked me up and down as if examining me.

"400 caps."

"What?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Okay, 500 caps and we'll help."

"You're seriously asking for money! Is there no such thing as human decency? It's not like I'm—"

"600"

"You know what. Fuck you!" I flipped the man off and turned around to head back to Blue. I would of paid the money if I had the caps but I had an idea forming in my head…Not exactly an idea I loved or even liked, but It felt like my only option and i'd do it if it meant Blue would be okay. I left his side and went to his bag and searched for his armor that he had taken off immediately after finding the cure. I made a little 'aha!' sound when I found it. In one of the pouches Nate kept two vertibird signal grenades. He always joked with me about being in the middle of a difficult fight, "One to get out, one to get back…With power armor" he would always say with a wink. He never backed down from a fight if it meant helping people. We had never used one. They were for emergencies only, but I figured if anything was an emergency this was. I didn't contemplate it much and pulled off the safety cap and tossed it a short distant aways. As soon as I did I went back to Blue's side and hoped someone would come soon.

Part of me didn't want to see a single one of their soldiers. The faction was just filled with entitled, selfish, and egotistical bastards that hoarded technology. Technology that could be beneficial to the revival of the commonwealth. Not to mention they were awful to those who didn't fit their 'pure' human standards. But, it was them that Blue had gotten himself tangled in the ranks of. I was slightly mad at him when he enlisted but I knew he only did so in hopes of finding a way to get his son back. I knew that thanks to his position though they would fight to keep one of their own alive. I may not like the Brotherhood of Steel…but i'd owe them big if they just saved him.


	5. Chapter 5

Note: Hey! I just want to give a huge apology for taking so long to post this chapter. It has been extremely chaotic on my end. I ended up coming down with a cold. At first I thought yay! I can just write in bed, but then my body was too weak to form sentences... And then I was trying to catch up on all this work. Anyways! New chapter for you guys. This is actually the last chapter for this particular story. No worries though, I plan to continue it in another so look out for that on my page.

I really just wanted to call this chapter 'Maybe' but I hadn't been naming my chapters so eh. Hope you like it!

POV: Nate

"Honey, can you get the door please." Nora was sitting on the couch with a newspaper on her lap. I had been on my way to join her with two cups of coffee in hand. 173.5 degrees Fahrenheit. At least that's what Codsworth said. I could feel the heat slightly burning my hand and I quickly handed a mug to my wife while holding the rim.

"I got it. No worries." I smiled and leaned down to give her a quick kiss which she returned, craning her neck to face me. I took a sip of coffee and made a face, burning my mouth, as I opened the door.

"Vault-Tec Calling!" I looked up to see the Vault-Tec representative. He wore his usual yellow suit and fedora, but the fabric was slightly ripped and covered in a light layer of dust. His face was different from what I remembered. The skin making up his features seemed to sag down and were severely scarred. He looked like he was slowly decaying alive. I should have reacted, screamed, asked him if he was okay. But I didn't. I simply talked with the man as normally as I ever would. He spoke about safety and nuclear fallout but to me it faded to white noise. It was over as soon as it began and I smiled before closing the door. It felt rough and with further inspection I noticed the wood was splintering in sections, the paint peeling off. I didn't give it another thought as I walked back over to my wife.

I kept my eyes on Nora. Beautiful as always. Her eyes sparkled a deep shade of blue. Eyes that she shared with Shaun—Shaun. My son was crying.

"Shhh. Daddy's here. Daddy's got you." I wasn't sure when I ended up standing next to his crib. One minute I was standing in the front room and the next I was reaching to pick up Shaun. It wasn't a seamless transition. I should have been confused, but it just made sense. I kissed his small frame and beamed with overflowing joy as he reached his tiny little hand out to grab by nose clumsily, slipping through his fingers.

Long slender fingers slid up my back to rest on my shoulder. I felt a head rest their chin on my other shoulder as well while they brought their hands down to wrap around my chest.

"How are the two most important men in my life doing?" I didn't respond but I gently set Shaun back down in his crib before turning around to be embraced by the hands of my wife as they reached up to cradle my face. I pulled her in close to me and rested my chin on the crown of her head.

"Sir! Mum! You should come see this!" Codsworth yelled at us from the other room. I didn't want to move. I just wanted to stay there forever. My wife in my arms, my son by my side, happy. But I knew I had to move. Remembering a sudden urgency but not quite being able to place its reasoning. I headed to the door and was about to head down the hall when Nora grabbed my arm. I turned around. She pinched the material of my white t-shirt and slowly began to pull me close again while simultaneously leading me to our bedroom.

"Shouldn't we go see what Codsworth is on about?" I asked, feeling strangely panicky.

"We could….Or, you could accompany me to our private quarters, soldier." She said as she buried herself in my neck biting softly.

"Soldier huh? Mmmm… I love it when your frisky" I smiled and let her pull me into our room, forgetting all about Codsworth's warning. One thing led to another and in another rough transition we were both on the bed staring at each other lovingly, our faces practically touching. I kissed the tip of her nose and smiled.

 _Crash!_ I heard something break outside, even through the shut window. A commotion had started. People were screaming, children were crying, and sirens rang out. After a while the sounds seemed all to familiar to the ones heard on the battlefield. I jumped a little but Nora calmly reached her hand out and stroked my cheek. She coaxed me down from my fear and my breathing became a normal pace. I hadn't even realized the panic that had begun to build up inside me until she brought me down. I looked directly into her eyes. I blinked and her temple became covered in blood as it ran slowly down her face. She seemed unfazed by the turn of events and merely smiled at me.

"Nora…" I said feeling grief wash over me.

"Shhh. Just relax. Everything will be okay. I love you." I slowly closed my eyes to her words and waited. I now knew what was about to happen. Everything became much more clear and I remained motionless, ready to accept my fate. I heard a loud crackling noise and I opened my eyes harshly only to see blinding light. Suddenly I felt a searing pain on my chest and stomach like a weight was crushing down on me. All I could see was bright white light and assumed death was at my door.

"Don't do this to me! Please don't leave." Nora called out screaming.

"I'm not going anywhere. I can't leave you. I love you." I tried to say, but I felt my voice go hoarse and weak which made it come out as no more than a whisper. Still, the words felt familiar in my mouth but I couldn't place them.

"Blue! Please!" She screamed. _Blue_? I couldn't see anything. Confusion overtook me as everything else started to fade but the voice got louder. Not long after I felt groggy and riddled with pain pulsing through my entire body. I saw a flash of red in front of my face and reached out to touch it. My vision was blurry. I was unsure if it was a human figure or my own blood. Both seemed completely likely. As I reached out I saw the shape, the figure I decided, get closer and I felt a hand thread their fingers through mine. For a moment it made the pain dull and bearable. But that dissipated quickly as the hand withdrew for unknown reasons. I couldn't tell what was going on but I felt some sort of mask—breathing apparatus be placed over my mouth and a needle enter my arm. It wasn't long before I felt my eyes become heavy again.

—

POV: Piper

The Brotherhood responded quickly and soon a fully armored woman ran up to me to ask what was wrong. She sounded angry, like I was wasting precious Brotherhood resources. Then again it was hard to tell seeing as her face was shielded by her helmet. She went quiet rather abruptly when she saw 'Knight Nathan Conlin' laying on the ground behind me. After that it was just the matter of getting him to a doctor.

"Can't we just go to Diamond City?" Getting on their vertibird I learned that the Brotherhood knight was accompanied by a lancer who piloted the craft. He was a gawky looking boy and seemed rather young. His hair was red and he had various freckles across his nose and cheeks. He kept fidgeting with his glove that was a tad big for his hand.

" I…Well…we would but—You see—ummm…" The pilot became a stuttering mess and only stopped his attempt to speak when the knight barked at him to cease his insufferable rambling. I didn't speak for several moments and only hovered over Blue to check and make sure he was still breathing. I had been doing this for the past twenty minutes every other minute. I knew he'd be alright but I couldn't help but worry. I realized I wasn't getting an answer so I added,

"It is closer and I trust Doctor Sun. He—"

"You may. But the Brotherhood doesn't. All curative matters are to be dealt with by our medical officer Knight Captain Cade." The woman interrupted me with a cold serious voice that held just a bit of nervousness? Something didn't add up but I ignored my intuition. I didn't really care much about details at this point but the fact that we were going right past possible help began to really tick me off. I opened my mouth to argue but stopped when the woman took off her helmet. She too was very young and looked extremely similar in appearance to the boy.

"Do you even know where you're going Eliot?" Her teeth clenched as she whispered in angry hushed tones.

"Yes! Shut up! Just let me think."

"So, you don't know."

"I know how to get there! I…I'm just a little lost at the moment. It's really foggy."

"What the hell is going on?" I asked loudly. They both went quite.

"Nothing." The woman said brusquely. I could tell the two were both on edge and I quickly tried to put the pieces together.

"He's…a new pilot isn't he?" I asked simply.

"Mind your questions, civilian. He is a perfectly capable—"

"Oh, come on. She isn't stupid sis." The boy chimed in, his voice filled with panic. "I'm only an initiate."

"Only an…You've got to be kidding me! Should he even be flying this thing?" I asked terrified that we may crash. Heights weren't exactly my favorite in the first place but knowing that our pilot barely knew how to fly made it just all the more comforting.

"Initiates do not have clearance to complete high-risk tasks, no. Unless accompanied by a higher rank affiliate. Which I am. All is acceptable." Something still didn't feel right. It wasn't till then that i'd realized just how on edge I had been since the moment I had woken up. I tried to remain calm and bring my out of control heart rate down with slow breaths. But it was futile when a thought occurred to me.

"Are you two related?" I asked with a larger question in mind.

"Yes, Lancer-Initiate Branco is my twin brother…" She realized her mistake as soon as she said it. Now, I knew it was entirely possible that she had been telling the truth but her wide eyes and the look on her face told me she had been lying so I took a small leap of faith before yelling,

"You're an initiate too!" She cringed embarrassedly before nodding and refusing to meet my eyes.

"You literally just told me you can't take a vertibird out without supervision. Explain."

"Well…uh" Now it was her turn to stutter. I guess she had more in common with him than I realized. Most of the flight she was calm and collected, but now she was an absolute wreck. I felt somewhat sorry for her. They both were panicking.

"Somebody tell me what's going on!" I yelled exasperatingly.

"We stole this vertibird!" The boy yelled out. He had no filter.

"No we didn't! Don't say that!" The girl argued with him. "We just—We took it…technically without permission." She finished while rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

"We planned on giving it back" She continued. "It's just that…we heard a radio broadcast calling for help. We thought that maybe…if we helped without any assistance then we could prove ourselves." I rolled my eyes at this. These kids were risking their necks over some silly title.

"It didn't go well." The boy added with a small laugh before returning his attention to the sky.

"Turns out the broadcast was pre-war. Just still repeating its loop." She looked down at her shoes as she said this. I could practically feel the shame radiating off her.

"Anyways, we were hoping to get back to Prydwen before they realize this ship is gone. But we saw your signal and there were no other vertibirds nearby…" She trailed off. I looked her up and down. She reminded me of a younger version of myself, desperate to make waves.

"Thank you" I said as I calmed down. "I know you must be desperate to get back as quick as you can. I appreciate you coming to help us." She didn't say anything but looked deep in thought before saying,

"Knight Conlin… What happened to him?" She gestured to Nate with a nod of her head.

"He was an idiot. A stupid, selfless, remarkable idiot. Who refused to ask for help when he could have gotten it." Despite my accidentally vague answer she simply nodded and moved to his side and assessed his injuries and condition.

I was angry at Nate. There was no use in denying it. But, I was also head over heels in love with him which was conflicting. I hadn't given much thought to my feelings for him. I always tried to push my emotions aside as hard as I found that to be. There was so much more going on. It felt impossible that Blue could even extend his thoughts passed the matter at hand. Everything was a shock. Everything had happened so quickly. I surprised myself when I just snapped and told him how I felt, I was surprised the feeling was mutual, and I was surprised that I hadn't even realized how deep my feelings ran for this man. Even now I hadn't given myself a moment to process anything because I was too preoccupied. But now I felt like I was going to spontaneously combust. Without anything to distract me on the vertibird, just waiting, I couldn't stop my jumbled thoughts from flooding in. I had been holding my breath for so long without even realizing it. I needed to talk with Nate. I thought of it like a story with the truth needing to be revealed.

The flight went on for another twenty minutes before I saw a giant metal blimp. I had never actually been on the Prydwen before but Nate had described it to me once or twice. It was huge. A thousand times bigger than any vertibird I had seen. In fact it was so big I had a hard time comprehending how something made of metal that size could even remain airborne. Looks like the Elder might be compensating for something. I chuckled to myself at my own mental joke.

The moment our feet touched the ground of the ship, guns were pointed at us. I put up my hands in surrender unsure of what to do.

"uuuuh…Hi" Is all I could manage. After hearing some rather harsh reprimanding the two kids were escorted onto the ship. Soon they brought Nate to their med-bay. They put an I.V. in his arm connected to a blood bag and then did something else with his neck that I couldn't quite see. They placed a bright lamp over him in order to see what they were doing better. I wasn't exactly sure what they were doing but I figured they did and let them work. They carried on for several minutes before Nate began to wake up. I was relieved at first. I had so desperately wanted him to just a mere hour ago. However, It took only a second for me to change my mind and wished he would have just stayed unconscious just a little longer. He began to shake and moan in pain. It broke my heart to see him suffering and it reminded me of when he had to go into Kellog's memories.

"Damnit! We're losing him!" Said one of the doctors. Without really thinking I ran up to him.

"Please don't leave." He mumbled something in response. He scared me a little when he stretched out a hand. I grabbed it and brought his hand to my lips and kissed it softly.

"Blue! Please!" He actually began to calm down and I thought he'd be okay but they decided to drug him and knock him out. Probably for the best.

"Miss, you'll have to leave." I let go of his hand as the man stepped between us.

"No. I'll stay out of the way but I'm not leaving." The man tried to protest but was interrupted by a woman in power armor standing outside the door.

"You should listen to her, Cade. She's a stubborn one." I gave her a glance and tried my best to look offended at her assumption but she looked past me at the doctor.

"Doesn't matter. I want everyone out of my god damn medical room!" The doctor started shooing people out and the two scribes that had been assisting him left.

"Piper. Come on, you can hang with me." The woman at the door nodded outside the room hoping I would follow. I looked over at Nate for a moment before reluctantly following.

"Do I know you?"

"No." She Paused awkwardly. "But I know you."

"mmm…Isn't that a bit cliche. Also, not to mention creepy."

"Maybe. But take that up with your boyfriend."

"He—Nevermind. What do you mean?"

"He's the one that won't shut up about you."

"Blue talks about me?" My face went really red. This must be how Mama Murphy feels because I could see the future and knew for certain i'd be a babbling idiot soon. Before she could respond a knight walking by and interrupted without breaking his pace.

"You talking about Knight Conlin? Yea, nearly nonstop." He laughed before adding "A tad annoying actually." before turning the corner out of sight.

"Great. That's just… great." I said sarcastically. "I'm not sure how I feel about that." Even though I wasn't exactly fond of the idea that the Brotherhood knew my favorite color, It still brought a smile to my face. Blue thought about me even when I wasn't around. Desperate to change the subject I said,

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name."

"Proctor Ingram. At your service."

"Nice to meet you." I said shaking her power armored hand. "I'm—Well you know."

"You ever disassemble a military-grade circuit board tail motor for a T-60c in order to maximize adaptive systems before?"

"uuuh…Maybe. Then again I didn't recognize about half the words you said there. And words are my life."

"I need tiny hands. Come on, I'll show ya."

—

POV: Nate

 _Beep…Beep…Beep._ I woke up to the sound of my heart monitor and turned my head to see the little lines. My body ached but I knew my condition was far better than that of…well, I actually wasn't sure how long I had been here. The last I remember my only concern was the possibility of breaking my stitches. It took a while before the virus vault-tec made began to take a toll. My thoughts rolled around. First to the dream I had. I shuddered at the memory. I wasn't sure that was something I wanted to analyze just yet. As a wave of stabbing washed over me my thoughts went out to Austin and the pain he must have endured. Austin was so much smaller. It must have hit him sooner and at least ten times harder. I knew giving him the cure was the right thing to do. Even if it meant I wouldn't make it. But I did, somehow. Whether it was by luck or by miracle, only god knows. I was relieved, but I can't say a tiny sliver of myself wasn't the smallest bit disappointed. When first leaving the vault, losing my wife and son, I found no purpose in living in the fucked up world of the wasteland. I constantly thought of death and just letting some raider put me out of my misery. But I held on. Yes, the aim of finding my lost son became the string I held onto but eventually it became the little things and the people I met that added thread to make it a rope. The world wasn't completely lost just yet and I wasn't about to let myself lose hope. I think it was Piper, however, that saw me holding onto that rope… and pulled me back to safety…to sanity.

I felt as if so much time had been wasted. When I first met Piper, I pushed her away. She brought up too many things I just never wanted to feel again. No one else should make my heart flutter or my mind wander. For so long I felt the guilt of surviving. And believing that I didn't deserve to feel happy came to me as some sort of solace. That I was somehow making up for her death and my survival. But now, to me, Piper isn't a reminder of what I lost but rather a reminder of what could be. Someone who I love and reminded me that I could be happy.

I turned my head to take in the room. Piper was asleep, sprawled out in a chair. I watched her for a moment as her chest rose and fell. Just the mere fact that she was breathing brought a smile to my lips. Everything, no matter how simple or mundane, she did I found utterly beautiful. Since when had I fallen this hard? I noticed a small bruise on her neck—a hickie. I started to panic a little. Who touched her? As far as I knew she wasn't with—It took a whole minute of my brain racing before realizing that I did that. My eyes got wide as I remembered the events of the previous night. It's not that I didn't remember but it wasn't until then that It fully hit me what happened. What did that mean for us? What if I took things to fast and drove her away. I groaned at the thought a little too loud. Piper mumbled something before her eyes fluttered open.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep." I said as I looked over at the clock. 8:46 P.M. It wasn't awfully late but I could see she was tired.

"Blue!" She yelled in a whisper. She got up from the chair and came up next to me as she cradled my face with her hand. I leaned into it to show my acknowledgement.

"You scared me."

"I know. I'm so sorry Piper." She had been looking past me until this moment and when she brought her gaze up I locked eyes.

"We're on the Prydwen?" I was a bit confused and lowered my voice to add,

"I thought you hated the brotherhood."

"I uh…I do. Might have to give them a second chance though…kind of made a promise to myself if they saved you." I smiled.

"So you did this for me?"

"Well, yea. I mean—"

"In that case—" I interrupted her rather harshly and put my hand on her neck to encourage her to lean in close. When her face was practically touching mine I began again whispering.

"In that case. Don't. The Brotherhood has its moments but they're also bigots. They don't deserve your stamp of approval." I saw her look up and scan the room to see if anyone had heard my words. I knew she was scared they'd turn on us or something on similar lines.

"It's okay." I cupped her face and ran my fingers gently along the tired lines under her eye.

"Why don't you get some sleep. I have a bunk in the barrack you can use." She shook her head and grimaced.

"No…I, no. I don't want to leave you." Her voice was nearly inaudible and I could see a slight twinge of pain in her eyes as she looked everywhere but at me."

"Piper…" I whispered as softly as I could. She looked back at me. "Don't worry about me okay?" She laughed a little to herself but stopped when she saw my confused look.

"You do know who you're talking to right? I can't…not worry" I laughed back a little before saying,

"Yea I know. Piper Wright. Reporter. Who keeps her mind dead set on whatever catches her fancy." I joked, just thinking about the many stories she's chased. I paused after I said that though. She half smiled weakly at my realization.

"Guess you made it on the list."

"Mine too." We didn't talk for a few minutes but after too much dead air I went to speak up. Piper had the same idea and neither of us were sure what the other had said as our words became a jumbled mess. I waited patiently for Piper to try again. She too had the same thought which created another awkward silence. I laughed and she realized I was waiting for her and started with an "Oh"

"I-I just uh…want to say-and ask um…" She took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves and I reached to grab her hand which she took mindlessly.

"I was sure that the paper would be the best thing I ever did in my life, but… being here with you now…now I don't know. I've needed someone like you in my life for a long time, Blue. I just never expected I'd ever get them." I opened my mouth to speak but she put her hand up. She needed to get these words out and I had a hunch she had been going over them in her head repeatedly before this.

"It's just, Blue, I'm loud and pushy and constantly getting in over my head. Why would someone like you ever want someone like me?" Hearing those words, I want to say, physically hurt me. But I knew it was just my body punishing me for trying to play the hero. I had let go of her hand when she finished and I think that made her panic because she started looking around the room again nervously. Did she think I didn't care? Did she really think that little of herself? I got too lost in thought and didn't respond.

"Shit. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—Of course. You don't… I'm so stupid." She took a step back and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"To think—"

"Piper!" I yelled a little too harshly. I immediately regretted it. I just didn't want her to go.

"Wait" I whispered trying to balance the previous tone I held. My face was sullen and sad. She saw that.

"No…I should go." She took a few steps backwards and went to the door. I panicked and without thinking got up quickly and accidentally tore the I.V. from my arm. It surprised me and I tripped hitting the floor with a thud. I groaned a little, rolled onto my back, before letting out a sarcastic "ow" Piper ran up to me and got on her knees to get down to my level.

"Blue! What the hell? Why-why would you do that?" I looked at her eyes. They were so full of concern and I almost didn't feel the hand she placed on my chest being so lost in them. I again didn't say anything for a moment but I started laughing and smiling like an idiot. Her brow narrowed and she looked at me even more concerned. I smiled once more before saying,

"Because. I love you." She didn't say anything but her expression changed. Surprise?

"oookay Blue…uh. I think I broke you. Um."

"No, no no. Piper. Why would someone like me…" I repeated back her earlier words and shook my head trying to think of what to say. Piper may have had time to think whilst I was unconscious but I didn't.

"Because you're absolutely perfect." She laughed and sighed at the same time.

"Far from it. You must not realize how many people I annoy on a daily basis."

"Maybe… But you don't see the way my eyes see you." I paused before joking.

"You really should. The views great." She pushed me very softly on the shoulder and leaned down to kiss me, her tongue running across my lip for entrance which I gladly gave. Our tongues danced together and I brought my hand up to tangle in her hair. When we finally broke apart she relaxed and let her body lie next to me on the floor. I wrapped my arms around her and she rested her head on my chest. Several moments went by and l let my eyes close. I knew we couldn't stay like this forever. I stroked her cheek and tucked her hair behind her ear so I could whisper close.

"We should get some sleep and I'm thinking the floor might not be the smartest choice." She groaned into my chest before lifting her head slightly to look at me.

"Mmm…Maybe. But it's awfully comfy at the moment." I smiled and looked around and saw my bag laying just in arms reach with a small corner of fabric hanging out. I kissed her forehead softly.

"Fuck it." I, without moving my torso, reached out with just my arm and pulled the tattered grey blanket out with little effort. I threw it over us and Piper nuzzled her head deeper into me. I rested my head against the hard cold ground and soon found my self dozing off. I heard footsteps and lifted my head to see Cade walk into the room. He looked surprised and was about to come to my aid which he believed I needed but I put a finger up to my lips to plead with him to be quiet. Piper had long been asleep when he came in. He noticed the sleeping woman in my arms and gave me a small nod before doubling back out the door. The Brotherhood was who I intended to work with in order to gain access to the institute but I wasn't so sure anymore. It wasn't that they had done anything between now and when I decided, to change my mind but I had thought hard about what the Brotherhood stood for and I wasn't sure I liked what I heard. They were alright, and I hoped there would be no quarrels between myself and them but as I laid on the ground and reorganized my thoughts I changed my mind. Tomorrow, I would thank the Brotherhood, lend a hand if needed, and then bring my blueprints to the Railroad.


	6. Chapter 6

Note:

Hey guys! I just want to say sorry and thank you. You've been so patient and i've been sooooo slow. I'm going to try and get out a chapter to you guys every weekend from now on. But please don't kill me if i'm off.

So, I'm not going to lie to you. This chapter is pretty sexual. So refrain if that isn't your style...I feel really weird writing smut. And I don't think i'm particularly good at it either but f-it. I'm in too deep and this is just for fun. Hope you guys like it!

Also, side note. Am I the only one pumped for these DLCs or what?

POV: Nate

 _Tap. Tap-tap-tap._

"Pssst. Piper"

Silence. _Crumple._ "Piper!" I yelled a whisper as I formed a small ball out one of the loose pieces of paper discarded carelessly on the floor. The woman simply tapped at her terminal relentlessly, unaware of my attempts to gain her attention. _Flumppf_. Stunned silence set in as the tapping stopped.

"I'm sorry, did you just throw a piece of paper at me?" Her face was expressionless as she turned around to look at me. I sat awkwardly backwards in an office chair she kept in the upper portion of her home and completed a full spin before letting the chair stop to look at her. I over shot it a bit and ended up facing a wall. I used my torso to build up momentum and turn it a few degrees rather ungracefully.

"No!…Maybe…Okay, yes. I totally did. I can't lie to you." Her brow furrowed angrily and she shook her head disapprovingly. It was just an act. It was easy to tell. The corners of her mouth pulled upward reluctantly as she tried so hard no to smile. I shot her a wide grin and then stuck my tongue out in a silly expression. She laughed.

"You're lucky you have such bad aim."

"False." I smiled. "I always find my target, love."

"Is that right?" She raised an eyebrow giggling slightly and returned her attention back to her terminal. "So you wanted it to bang against the wall and not me." Her tone came out sarcastically.

"Mmm… I thought about it but I figured you and I could just do that later." After years of practice from my time in the army I managed to keep my face straight despite its desire to turn into a smug grin. Piper, however, I swear turned as red as her coat. She laughed once more while grabbing the paper ball that had landed on her desk and chucked it back at me. I almost didn't feel it clock me in the forehead seeing as it was so light. I fell out of my chair onto the floor dramatically.

"Oooof! Oh! You got me!" _Crumple._ Piper took a blank sheet off her desk and retaliated again. This time I managed to block the projectile with my hand. I jumped up and hopped back onto my chair causing it to role directly in her direction. Of course I used my lips against her cheek to stop myself. For a moment she didn't react, just blushed and turned her chair back to her computer. A second later though she reached her hands behind her head and pulled me in close for an unusual behind-side hug. Her fingers slid up, passing my neck and sending chills throughout my body, and finally resting on my cheeks. One of her tiny hands reached down to grab my chin and tilt my face up. Simultaneously she craned her neck and arched her back in order to look at me upside down.

"Hey Blue." I tried to respond but only ended up bursting out a laugh. She grinned happily causing me to cease all thoughts and movements. I think I even stopped breathing and my heart skipped a beat. Just something about those hazel green eyes and cheeky smile made me absolutely melt. Before I knew what was happening, she had struggled in her seat more to give me an upside down kiss that I happily returned. My eyes were closed but I could feel her smile against me and I couldn't help but do the same as we broke apart.

"Waaaatcha writin'?" She relaxed in her chair again as I rolled my chair slightly to sit next to her rather than behind her. _Tap tap tap_.

"Just—an…article."

"Uh-huh. Well I mean I assumed that." Her face grew a little nervous as she quickly glanced at me and then jammed her backspace key multiple times.

"What's it about?"

"Stuff"

"Thank you for not being vague with your answer." She laughed at my sarcasm but didn't explain further.

"If it's secret you don't have to tell me. Just curious. I always like to know what you're up to. Oh god! Not—Not like in a creepy way. Not like in a stalker way. I, I just meant that I care about you and therefore the things you do…interest me." After that a series of sounds that did not sound like words but attempted to masquerade as them passed my lips.

"Are you having a stroke? Is this what a stroke looks like? Do I need to get Dr. Sun?" I chuckled before pinching the bridge of my nose.

"ugh. That was just utter word vomit right there. I'm sorry."

"It's fine Blue." She smiled before giving a nervous smile. "I uh, I actually do want you to read this…but I don't think I should publish it."

"Why wouldn't—" I interrupted myself with with a dramatic gasp. "Ms. Wright, you don't mean to tell me you've written scandalously obscene literature do you?" I quickly put a hand on her desk to support my body as I leaned over to stick my head in front of the terminal. As quickly as I did, however, Piper covered my face with one of her hands and pushed my head away giggling.

"What? No! Get your mind out of the gutter." I sat back down a little embarrassed and cursed myself for my lustful thoughts. "Someones a bit eager." It was true. After getting back to Diamond City three weeks ago and fully healing up, all I could think about was the night we shared. The passion, the love, it was all beautiful. I only wished I could have done more. All I wanted to do was be close with her. I'd give anything to see that look on her face again.

"Sorry" I said sheepishly. "It's just we haven't…You know, since we got back…I guess a two hundred year dry spell can do that to a guy." I rubbed the back of my neck as I laughed to myself nervously. There were a few times I thought we might have sex but something always happened. Nat came home, the school houses cat found its way into the house, or my favorite: Abbot knocking on the door in the dead of night, desperately asking for me to find him some paint. Most nights however, it ended with a simple 'Night Blue' and a passionate kiss before I'd head off to the dugout inn for the night. It all made sense. Our relationship was new and I myself didn't want to rush things either. I guess part of me just thought that since we were so close already when we got together and the fact that we had gotten so…personal the first time we confessed our feelings, that we might have skipped to another level of our relationship from the start. But we hadn't. That was fine. I never wanted her to do anything she didn't want to but our lack of physical activities made me worried that I might not have been as skillful as I would have hoped the last time. All thoughts of making love aside, It was enough to just be in the same room. I didn't need anything else other than the ability to control myself when she smiled.

"I-I know Blue, I just…" I could tell she was nervous and gave her an out.

"Hey don't think you can wiggle out of my question now." I gave her a reassuring smile before continuing. " Why wouldn't you publish your article? What's it about?"

"Uhhh, you actually." I froze.

"Oh."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even wrote any of this. I know you don't like the idea of everyone knowing about your personal life." She held down her backspace key but only managed to delete two words before I stood up and pulled her hand off.

"Whoa, hey! Don't delete what you have. You wanted to write a story about me before any of this. Don't let me change that. Publish it."

"Really?" She gave me a surprised look as if she was certain i'd be angry. I laughed before saying,

"Just let me read it before you put it out there. I'm sure there are things the Railroad doesn't want other people knowing. That's why i'm building the teleporter with the Minutemen. So they can pretend they're not involved. They lurk in the shadows and all. Besides, some of the things I told you…well they were just for your ears."

My thoughts flickered to the institute, my son…Kellogg. As Piper and I had gotten closer I eventually had told her the events of that night. I hated that man, but I still felt like a monster. Taking a life had started to feel like nothing to me. Even before the bombs fell. 'It's just war' That's what I told myself over and over again. 'It's just war.' Those were the only words I could tell myself to be able to sleep at night. No matter how much I tried to convince myself however, it couldn't stop the nightmares of the many lives I had ended on the battlefield. Lives who were just following orders. They didn't deserve to die. 'It's just war.'

But after the bombs, after the vault, after my wife…something snapped in me. I lied to myself. Said everything I did was for my son. My son wouldn't want this, all this…bloodshed. Neither would Nora. I killed out of anger, anger for losing them. Any raider that got in my way, any mutant or ghoul, I didn't care, I slaughtered them. I enjoyed it. And I enjoyed putting a bullet into Kellogg's smug face. After that I felt like a monster. I accepted my fate. I thought from that moment on a killer is all i'd be. It wasn't until I started to get to know Piper, truly get to know her that this feeling of guilt started to build up inside of me. I had never killed an innocent person but I still had the weight of dread on my shoulders. I had to tell her. And I did. When I finished she didn't say anything. She simply looked at me and gave me a hug. She could feel my guilt radiating off me and that was all she needed to continue standing by my side. From that point on I never enjoyed killing. I knew it was necessary but i'd think about them briefly every night before sleeping.

She gave me a sad smile before standing up herself. She cupped my face before giving me a comforting kiss.

"Don't worry. I know when to keep something to myself." At that I couldn't help but crack a smile. Neither could she. We both knew that was utter crap. She let go of me as we both started laughing.

"Shut up!" She punched my arm lightly.

"What? I didn't say anything"

"But you were thinking things."

"Only the time you got poisoned—"

"Yea, yea I know. Because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. I'm working on that." I looked her up and down. God she was beautiful.

"Don't. Don't change."

"You know most people would say 'Yea! I agree stop putting yourself in danger.'"

"Mmm…Put yourself in as much danger as you want." She raised an eyebrow. "Because I'll never let anyone hurt you."

"Aw Blue…That was incredibly cheesy." I laughed and she grinned before turning away from me.

"In that case I better finish up this article."

"Sounds good. Um, hey Piper?"

"Yea Blue?" She sat back down in her chair but looked up at me a little worried.

"I—I have to head back to Sanctuary." Her face fell. "As much as I've loved spending time here with you and Nat in Diamond City…I need to finish this thing. I'm so close to getting into the institute. I can feel it. The parts in my bag," I gestured to my duffle that was leaning against the wall. "I'm pretty sure we have everything we need now." She remained quiet but muttered something under her breath.

"Piper?" At the mention of her name it looked as if she was shaken back to the present.

"Can you wait a day?" Her face looked almost fearful and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her head.

"I'm just going to help finish building the thing with Sturges. Don't worry okay? I promise not do do anything stupid without telling you first." The corners of her mouth twitched as she tried to smile but couldn't.

"You better. But…Wait a day. Please."

"Of course. Anything for you." I reached out for her and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. She giggled a little surprised. After all the time we've spent together she hadn't gotten used to my behavior. What she saw as odd old world acts came as second nature to me.

"Sorry" I muttered awkwardly letting go of her hand. I felt out of place. Ever since leaving the vault I had been trying desperately to fit in with wasteland life. It took me longer than i'd like to admit to realize I probably shouldn't go around in that blue vault jumpsuit of mine. I never wore it anymore. I still had it however. It remained folded in a dresser back in Sanctuary. I recently asked Piper why she still called me Blue after I stopped wearing the jumpsuit. She simply replied, 'If you asked me that a month ago I would have just lied and said I couldn't kick the habit, but the truth is I never called you Blue because of your jumpsuit. It was because of your eyes.'

"No, don't be. I like it. Just…Sometimes I forget I have my own pre-war relic" She winked and gave me a suggestive half smile. Now it was my turn to blush.

"So uh, why tomorrow? Did you have something in mind for tonight?"

"Well no, I said tomorrow because i'm coming with you."

—

POV: Piper

Fuck. Can't he see what he's doing to me. 'It's just we haven't…You know, since we got back' His words echoed in my mind all the way to Sanctuary. I could see it in his eyes. It wasn't so much that he wanted sex as much as he wanted to be with me. He was nervous, nervous that I didn't feel the same way about him as he did for me. I think he thought that after that night I was unsure about us. The truth is I had never been so sure about anything before in my life. And that scared me. I didn't want to mess this up. I always messed things up.

He was obviously more experienced than me seeing that he had a son and the farthest i've ever gotten with a guy was second base…literally second base. We were out in the fields making out, with him pressing me up against the wall in Diamond City when he asked if we could go back to my place. Unfortunately, he tripped on the base and broke his hand against a lamp post in his fall. I apologized over and over again as I helped him to see Doctor Sun. He told me it was alright, it wasn't my fault. But we never picked up where we left off. When his hand healed he went off and joined the gunners and I never saw him again.

It was one of the many things that scared me when Blue was bitten by that molerat. Of course I was absolutely terrified I might lose him, but I couldn't help but pull parallels. What if Blue just decided to leave me? There was nothing stopping him. So every time we came close to or I could tell he wanted to spend the night with me I panicked. I didn't want to disappoint.

"Oh, well, I'm the type of guy who will never settle down! Where pretty girls are, well, you know that I'm around!" Blue sang along to the radio as he, wrench in hand, tightened a knob on the side of a metal panel. The sun was out shining obnoxiously. On any other day i'd welcome the nice weather but today it was driving me up the wall. Nate's skin glistened with sweat and his arms flexed with every turn of the wrench. I may have been iffy about the idea but that didn't mean I didn't want him. I had been watching from the window of one of the abandoned houses. Blue eventually stopped with the panel and stood up to grab a bottle of purified water. He took a sip before pouring the rest on his head. He ruffled his hair with his hand causing water to drip down his face. The sun blazing down made everyone and everything hot…But I was hot for different reasons. I barely even noticed the burning sensation in my hand as I had rested it against the metal of the window. I quickly pulled my hand off and cursed. I used all my will power to refrain from looking any longer…unfortunately I didn't have that much.

The water had made its way to his white t-shirt making the material cling to his body. His muscles clearly visible. It must have been uncomfortable because he pulled at the material and then— op…there goes his shirt. I made an audible moan and bit my lip to shut myself up so hard I drew blood.

"Okay Piper. We-uh we should go do stuff" And now I'm talking to myself.

—

"Piper, Piper, bo-biper Banana-fana fo-fiper Fee-fi-mo-miper! Piper!" The day had turned into night and Blue started singing as he tried to grab my attention running into the room. I couldn't stop myself from laughing as he scooped me up in his arms, now clothed in a faded plaid shirt. He spun me around, one, two times before kissing me and simultaneously setting me down. I buried my fingers into the fabric of his shirt and kept my forehead pressed against his as I smiled.

"Hey Blu-" He placed another chaste kiss on my lips. "Oh!…Heh. Goosebumps" Right then and there it hit me. I loved Nathan, I wasn't going to wait any longer. The next time the moment arose i'd make sure to show him.

"You…seem…excited. What's going on?" I asked genuinely curious.

"Me and Sturges finished the teleporter." Blue couldn't stop smiling as he spoke.

"That's…great." I faked a smile. The truth is I was scared. I wanted Nate to find his son, I really did. But I also didn't want him to get hurt. And he was about to just casually walk into the belly of the beast.

"Yea! We're going to try and get this baby up and running tomorrow tomorrow night. There's a few things I need to take care of before I leave but, tomorrow. Sturges says it only has enough juice to take me and me alone but that's okay. Me is all I need to do this thing. I'm going to get my son back tomorrow." I kept on smiling but inside all my nerves were firing with panic. He was so hopeful and part of me wanted to tell him not to get his hopes too far up, but then what kind of horrible person would I be to tell the man that I love that 'hey your child might not even be there.'

"I'm happy for you Blue…just, be safe okay."

"You know I will be." His smile turned into more of a sympathetic one as his hands took both of mine in his.

"How long do you think you'll be gone."

"I—I don't know. Hopefully not long." I pulled just one of my hands away and brought it up to his face and traced his features, lingering over the scar that cut his right brow.

"One of these days you're going to have to tell me how you got this scar." I had asked him about it before but he'd either dodge the question or make up something silly. I sighed.

"I'm going to miss this stupid face."

"Hmm…Well i'm going to miss this beautiful one." He took his free hand and brought it up to mirror my movements. We carried on like this for several minutes before footsteps entered the room.

"Oh, General. There you are." Preston stood with his hands clasped behind his back waiting as Nate pulled away from me reluctantly. He refused to let go of my hand however and our fingers interlaced as our hands fell limply between us.

"Yes?"

"I wanted to let you know that we finally got that water purifier in the river up and working."

"Outstanding, thank you." Blue gave them a nod and a charming smile before preparing to turn their attention back to me. But Preston didn't leave.

"Was there something else?" he added.

"Not that I can think of."

"Okay." Preston still didn't leave. "I'm sorry, Preston isn't there a settlement that needs your help or something." Blue cleared his throat and gestured with his head in my direction. I felt awkward just standing there but didn't know what else to do.

"Oh uh, yes. Right. There…is." With that Preston shuffled awkwardly out of the room.

"Uh, anyways" Blue said before I started laughing. "I got you something."

"Got me something?" He nodded.

"Yea, follow me." Still holding my hand he guided me to his house. The house he said he lived in before the war. I couldn't believe it was still standing. I mean it wasn't hard to believe any building was, I had seen many pre-war ruins, but a building he once spent everyday in over 200 years ago? It seemed impossible to think about. He let go of my hand when we stopped in the living room.

"Wait here." He walked down the hall and disappeared to the left. It only took a couple seconds before he came back out holding something behind his back.

"I, uh, I made this for you" From behind his back he pulled out a gun and held it out in front of me. It was a pipe sniper rifle with multiple mods.

"Wow you modded the crap out of this." I said taking it from his hands and examining it further. The metal plating was shined and looked silver, unlike others like it. It was beautifully hand engraved and I flipped it over in my hands to view the other side. There was my first name etched carefully and neatly in italic print, surrounded by various swirls of what looked like branches. It complimented the dark reddish wood making up the stock. I didn't know much about craftsmanship but I could tell the wood and the gun itself was high caliber. I didn't know what to say. No one had ever given me something this nice before.

"You made this?" He nodded silently. "Thank you, Nathan" He smiled and I pulled him into a passionate kiss. Unable to do much else, I wrapped my arm around him still holding the gun. When we broke apart I couldn't help but keep looking at it further.

"It has a name you know."

"Oh really? And what's that?" He rolled his shoulders as if preparing himself and then said with a wide grin,

"I call it…The Piper Rifle." He used his hands to display imaginary words in front of me. I looked down at the gun, then at his face, and then back to the gun…It was a _pipe sniper rifle._

"Oh. My. God."

"What?"

"I never realized how much of an absolute dork you are."

"Ouch, offended."

"No—" I laughed amusedly as I set it on the table carefully as not to hurt it. "Don't worry. Just makes me love you all the more." He smiled before smothering my face with small kisses.

"Aw! Blue!" I would have fallen over if not for running into the his kitchen island. Realizing the object pressing into my lower back he lifted me up slightly to rest me on the islands surface. I laid back with short heavy breaths as he jumped up himself and hovered over me. He kissed me over and over until he ventured lower to nibble at my ear. I moaned loudly as he moved to suck my pulse point. I pushed him upwards away from me and his face became confused as if asking voicelessly if I wanted him to stop. I answered him by shaking off my jacket followed by my shirt. His expression turned into a grin as I sat up slightly and tugged at his plaid button up desperately. He stared at me for a moment to make sure I was sure. I simply nodded. At the moment we didn't need voices. We worked in unison. He got the message and fumbled with the hem of his shirt. I became impatient and instead of letting him pull it off I ripped the front held together by buttons. Two fell off but he didn't seem to care. The fabric still covered his arms but I lifted my hands to run them down his well defined, and now exposed, chest. His head went back down to my neck and I grabbed the back of his head and laid back down with a moan.

His hands tried to get under my back and I arched slightly to give him access. He easily unclasped my bra before tossing it to the floor. I relaxed again and he moved down my body to advert his attention to my pants. I glanced down at him and watched in awe as he undid the zipper with his teeth. He jumped off the island and undid his own pants as I remained motionless. I could see him straining against his briefs and gulped before letting my head fall back against the wood. He didn't get back up, instead he picked me up bridal style, kissing me the entire way, as he carried me to his bedroom. He rested me gently on the bed and pulled off the rest of his shirt. He lied down next to me before rolling to hover back over me. I let my hands travel all over him. All I wanted was to _feel_ him. I couldn't tell if he noticed my wandering hands. He was too distracted by breasts to notice much else. He took one in his hand and the other in his mouth.

"F-fuck!" I yelled into the air. He lifted his head and I sighed at the loss of stimulation.

"That's the plan, love" His head went back down on me and I threw my head back when his hand snaked down under the hem of my underwear to play with my clit. I squirmed happily under him and lifted my own hands up to rest against his shoulders. He used the hand that had been giving attention to my breast to spread my legs apart as he sat on his knees between them. Without much warning he leaned down and kissed me as he slipped in two fingers causing me to make muffled sounds against him. When he left my lips all I could manage to do was close my eyes, drop my head down, and moan loudly as he worked his fingers inside me. This only seemed to spur him on and he increased his speed. I was so close, and he could tell. He pulled his hand away and I made an unidentifiable noise out of displeasure. I opened my eyes to stare at him and he smiled before trying to pull down my underwear. I lifted my body to try and help him. He quickly removed his own and freed his erection. Nate was rather…well endowed. I didn't really have anything to compare it to but it wasn't hard to tell.

Blue sat up on his knees high and looked at me as I took the sight of him in as well. If there was a god he must have saved the best of everything for him. He was physically flawless. He leaned back down to whisper into my ear,

"You are so beautiful" More kisses were given to my neck before I felt him press against me.

"Wait, wait , wait, wait!" I yelled out nervously. He stopped all movement and pulled away.

"Is something wrong? Did I hurt you?" Genuine worry crossed his face as he look me up and down to see if I was injured in any way.

"No, no you're fine. I just—You should know, I've haven't—I've never…"

"Oh" Thankfully Blue caught on with what I was trying to say. My face turned red from embarrassment and his held an expression of nervousness. Several moments went by before he spoke up again.

"That's okay. That doesn't matter. As long as this is something you want?"

"Yes, of course I do." I gave him a nervous but reassuring smile followed by a shy nod. He leaned down and hovered just above my face.

"Okay, I promise to be gentle." He lifted his hands up and placed one on my neck and cheek and the other he used to support himself as he brought me in for a long kiss that held nothing but emotion. I screamed in his mouth as pain coursed through my body. He held onto me tight as I thrashed once against the mattress. The pain quickly faded however as I was overwhelmed with pleasure. He waited for me and only continued when I placed my hand on his cheek and kissed him back. There was a series of names screamed out after that 'Blue', 'Nate, 'Piper', 'God'. It didn't take long, however, before I fell over the edge shouting 'Nathan'. As soon as it passed I felt the heat pooling in my core again. He had been going slow for my sake but sped up his movements when I begged him to go faster. He happily obliged but was still slower than I knew him capable of. The combination of friction, kisses, heat, and touching was enough to bring me to my climax once again. I clamped down around him and it must have been enough to push him over as well since he pulled out quickly. He came against my bare stomach but I didn't care. I was focused on trying to even out my breathing. Nothing I had ever felt had been quite like that and it left me speechless.

I stared at the ceiling smiling as Blue fell down next to me. He was breathing heavily as well and we both were covered in a layer of sweat. He ran his hand over his face before turning his head to look at me with satisfaction. I turned my head to meet his gaze happily. I felt my eyes grow heavy and could have fallen asleep right there but he convinced me to come clean myself up with him. After, I mumbled something about heading to one of the houses for the night.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're spending tonight with me." It was easy to slip into sleep. Blue wrapped his arms around me and pressed his whole body against mine. We fit together like two puzzle pieces. That night I found myself drifting off happy.

—

The next morning I woke up to the sun shining through the small holes of a curtain covering the window. Blue was no longer wrapped around me. I reached my hand over to the other side of the bed to feel nothing. I lifted my head and looked around.

"Blue?" No one responded and I begrudgingly got up to head to the kitchen to see if Blue was there. He wasn't. There was though, a cup of hot coffee that rested on a note scrawled on an old Boston Bugle that read:

 **Piper,**

 **Sorry for not being there to wake up with you. I promise to make up for it later. Something popped into my head that I need to take care of before tonight. Be back later.**

 **Love you,**

 **Nate**

I folded the note before setting it back on the counter and sighing. I wanted him here with me but I guess I couldn't have everything.

—

POV: Nate

When I fell asleep the previous night with Piper I felt as if I could lie there forever with her in my arms. Falling asleep was easy, waking up was hard. I had the same nightmare I had aboard the Prydwen. I got to see Nora, my son, we were all a family, and then…the bombs. Nora kept screaming 'Don't leave me, please don't leave me' over and over again. I woke up shaking and it took a long time to calm down. I turned to see Piper curled up next to me. She was still asleep. I glanced over at the alarm clock I kept next to my bed. 4:30. I sighed and laid back down to try and go back to bed but I couldn't. The events of my dream played again and again in my mind. The worst part is it felt so real and clear, even in just the memory of the dream. 'Don't leave me'? What did she mean? We both made it into the vault. She was the one who left me…

The vault. Oh god, she was still frozen in that pod. I never went back. I never had the courage to. After my pod opened I remember falling to the floor. I remember yelling at nothing repetitively. I tried to stand up but my body betrayed me as I collapsed again under my own weight. The years spent frozen had left me weak and It took all the strength I had left to drag myself to my wife's pod. Even in her lifeless state she looked as beautiful as she ever did. Her body was covered in a thin layer of ice that stopped the blood from traveling. Her head was thrown back against the metal but her face looked almost peaceful. I couldn't stand to look at her though. Not when I knew her eyes would never flutter open, that i'd never hear her sweet voice or feel her gentle touch again. I had to close my eyes as I promised her that i'd do whatever it takes to get our son back. I slipped her ring of her fragile finger and never looked back. I left her there.

I couldn't just go back to sleep. I needed to do something, anything. I carefully, as not to wake Piper, got up. She stirred slightly at the movement but didn't say anything which I took to mean she was still asleep. I crept out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen. I made myself a cup of coffee before making a cup for Piper. Now a days coffee beans weren't grown. However, during one of our trips we came across a coffee company that had thousands upon thousands of instant packets. Not as great as freshly brewed coffee but it was something. Eventually I dug through a few drawers before finding an old newspaper and a pen. It would have to do. I wrote Piper a quick note before heading out the door. It was time I buried my wife.

—

I didn't think to grab a jacket. The warm weather had proved to carry on even into the night. I had thrown on some old, ripped, jeans and grabbed a t-shirt I cut the sleeves off of and pulled it over my head while I stepped outside. I tried not to think about what I was about to do as I rummaged around sanctuary, careful not to be too loud, looking for a shovel. The dread of what was coming became too much however and when I finally found the object of my search I let my body fall against the wall it was leaning on. My back slid down against the surprisingly smooth wood and I planted myself, sitting against the wall. I pulled the necklace around my neck off and placed it in my palm. I always wore my wedding ring but Nora's was far to small for me to wear in addition to. After leaving the vault I tied a leather string around it and wore it around my neck. In some ways I thought that was better than simply wearing it on my right hand. This way I kept it—her close to my heart.

Thinking of her made my heart hurt which then led to anger as I recalled that sick son of a bitch shooting her without hesitation. I threw the ring across the abandoned room in a fit of fury as I shot up. My foot connected with several objects strewed across the floor. Somehow I thought taking out my frustration on old boxes would help my aching soul. It didn't. After losing my breath slightly I placed my hands on my knees and bent over with silent sobs. Misery turned to panic as I remembered my wife's wedding ring. I didn't see it. I rushed to the other side of the room where I threw it but tripped on a broken cabinet door. _oof!_ I hit the floor with a hard thud and breathed in sharply as all the air had left my body. I didn't move for several minutes. I didn't want to. I lied on my back before seeing light reflect on metal. I twisted my head to get a better look, followed by the rest of my body. It was the ring. I crawled over to it without getting up and picked it up gently. I threw the cord back over my head again so I wouldn't lose it. Gripping the ring itself tightly, I stood up shakily. Letting it go, it dangled and hit my chest a couple times, as I sadly picked up the shovel and headed out the door.

5:00 am? It looked like it. The sky was dark but subtle warm colors peaked from the horizon with the arrival of sun. That didn't give me much time. I hoped to do this while everyone was still asleep. This was something I needed to do alone. And I knew everyone, none of them would let me be alone. I wasn't sure where I should bury her. The back yard of our old house? Maybe. It could be a fitting resting place seeing as we spent much of our life there together. But how would that help me? Maybe it was selfish thinking but the idea of it made me feel as if i'd never be able to fully move on. Seeing a grave marker every morning from my window…I'm not sure I could handle that. By the river? No. Don't want the water washing away the soil. As I walked up the hill and arrived by the entrance to the vault I looked back up at the horizon. Seeing the sunrise was absolutely beautiful.

"Here. Is here okay, hun?" I whispered to the horizon. I received a small cold breeze against the warm weather which I took as a 'yes'. My hand went to the ring around my neck again as I closed my eyes and said a small prayer. I wasn't terribly religious but Nora was. It was only right that she deserved that respect. After contemplating exactly how to open the said vault I wandered over to the white Vault-Tec trailer and hit a button to lower the elevator. Thankfully it was pressure activated and didn't start moving until I walked into the center of the platform.

I didn't think to grab a jacket. I wish I had. I forgot how cold it was down there. The temperature triggered more memories of that night and I shivered to fight off the cold and the flashes. I meandered through the vault with no real sense of direction. It wasn't as big compared to Vault-81. It didn't have to be. The space was used more for storage than living. Nonetheless I forgot where my particular pod and Nora's had been and I found myself walking into another room of pods with more figures I didn't recognize. Vault-Tec bastards. Maybe if I found some more time i'd come back and give them all proper burials as well. It occurred to me that I had never explored the vault that much. I had been more concerned with getting out the first time to really consider what was displayed around me. I went into several other rooms including a kitchen and what I think was a break room for the twisted scientists that ran this place. I picked a rather challenging lock on a case against a wall. There was a gun…or at least some sort of weapon. It already had some cells in its compartment so I aimed at the floor and pulled the trigger to see what would happen.

"Shit!…Huh, thats-uh thats useful I guess." I carefully stuffed the weapon into my bag and carried on. There was one or two rad-roaches that I must have passed up the first time crawling around. I didn't even waste a bullet on them. I merely stomped on them with the heel of my foot and twisted. Finally I found the room where my family had been situated. Over on the left I noticed and open pod. Mine. And right across from it…another open pod.

"I thought I closed you." I spoke aloud to the pod as if it could understand me. I walked hesitantly over to the pod. If I forgot to close it then her body must have started to decompose. I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I took a deep breath, expecting the worst, and walked in front of it. Ice lined the pod completely in thin strips. There was frozen blood along its left side and in the center there was…nothing. Nothing? How could there be nothing?

"What the hell! Where's Nora?! Where's my wife?!" I hit the outer part of the pod and pulled out my rifle to scan the room. More nothing. I was alone. I completely broke down and started screaming and yelling at the empty room. My voice echoed off the walls. Once I was able to focus my brain I walked out of the vault at a brisk pace. This time I didn't get lost, this time I found my way out with no hesitation, with no emotion. I felt dead inside. I hit the button on the elevator panel with absolute hatred and kicked the metal of the elevator wall when it didn't move fast enough.

"FUCK!" The elevator started moving up as I paced along the length of it.

"First you take my son! Then you take her life! Now you take her body!" I looked up and watched the surface get closer and closer.

"You think I wanted you dead then, you just wait until I get a hold of you now." I wasn't exactly sure who my threats were cast at. All I knew is the institute was going to pay for this. It had to be them. They took my son, why wouldn't I think they took Nora as well. Screw night! I was going to get that teleporter up and running before the sun was finished rising.


	7. Chapter 7

Note: (Kind of a long note so if you really don't care scroll past it :)

*Crawls out of the grave. Sees sunlight, hisses and retreats.* Hey Guys! I'm alive...feeling a bit guilty that I keep having such long breaks between chapters so i'd like to say: Sorry. Forgive me. I am terrible with apologies. Ope, that was another apology. But seriously, i'll try to do better but you guys know life happens.

So, I have had the most insane case of writers block. However, I have been cured. Hallelujah! This chapter is a bit short compared to the others I have put out but hey i'm happy with it. I rewrote it about five times and it isn't even that plot heavy. Sorry if you don't like it. I'm not much of a writer. But this is just for fun. I love writing about my two dorks. Just a brief explanation: Theres a flashback and a baby flashback inside the flashback. Flashception.

okay, I got into a bit of a roll...role? No-roll. So this chapter may be slightly shorter but I know exactly where i'm going with the next part of the story and already started writing chapter 8. I pulled myself away to post this though so you have something to read. And as soon as I do i shall continue...or go try out the new DLC because I bought the season pass and I have yet to try that yet. But prepare for a mirelurk queen of a next chapter because I think it'll be pretty long. And hopefully i'll post it tomorrow actually because I have more free time. Don't hold me to it though. Umm...I think I'm done with my note. Oh, if anyone feels like chatting or has any story suggestion I have a tumblr. Same user.

POV: Piper

Blue's muffled voice carried in from outside through thin walls. He must have gotten back from whatever he was doing. I had been nursing a cup of coffee while skimming through an old Grognak the Barbarian comic. I had read it several times already. Although I felt it easy to be captivated by the story, I found myself flipping through to pages depicting the valiant hero in order to admire the more… exposed territories of his armor. After the escapade of the previous night my mind was not only in the gutter, it frolicked in it. I wonder if Blue would ever be interested in dre—

"Just Calm Down!"

"How the fuck am I supposed to calm down Sturges! She's gone!" Gone? I got up from the table and headed to the door. I hadn't left Nate's house but I didn't think he would mind really. Peeking my head out I scanned the area. Nate and Sturges stood far away, right where the street of Sanctuary looped next to the monstrosity they called a teleporter. The distance meant they must have been yelling LOUD for their voices to carry all the way to my hungry ears. Probably all of Sanctuary could hear them. No, definitely all of Sanctuary could hear them. I noticed curie across the street extend one of her little robotic eyes out the window to identify the commotion. I couldn't help but but feel my body tense. Something wasn't right.

"Alright, alright. Just take it easy. I'll work on getting it functioning. Just…give me a moment will ya." Nate mumbled an apology and then started angrily pacing. It was then I fully stepped outside and alternated between a jog and a walk over to him. He hadn't noticed me with his head down and his tongue flicking to unintelligible sounds.

"Blue?" He didn't say anything, he didn't even flinch. He just turned on his heels and completed another back and forth motion.

"Blue?" I took a step forward and repeated myself to try and get his attention. Something was clearly wrong and he was not taking it well. Still nothing.

"Nate." I reached out cautiously and touched his arm. He jumped back at first but his face softened when he realized it was me.

"Piper. Hey. I'm so sorry. You must be mad at me right now. I know it was an ass move of me to just leave like that." His voice was soft but pained as he ran both his hands up his faces and rested them in his hair, grasping the ends out of stress and unsettling his usually slicked to the side style.

"I'm not mad. I, well really I'm mostly just confused. What's going on?" I glanced to my left and noticed Sturges who vexedly fiddled with buttons on some sort of box. I briefly glanced up at the sky. It was still mostly dark, despite the small hints of sun. I briefly wondered if I had slept through the whole day and it was already night.

"I thought you weren't going to go until later tonight?" I shifted my weight as I waited for his response but Nate hadn't replied and his face radiated nothing but despondency. "What's wrong?" I went to place a hand on his cheek but he shrugged it off and stepped back.

"I-I…" Blue tripped and stumbled over his words and his feet and anything that followed came out in choked senseless noises. His breathing picked up and his hands were shaking. I grabbed them instinctively. He fought me for a second but quickly accepted them whilst slipping his fingers between mine.

"Relax, just tell me how to help." At that point I didn't care why he was so upset, although I wanted to sock the person who made him feel this way square in the face, I just wanted him to be okay. It was probably the most out of character thing I had ever done. I always wanted to find out the truth, see every angle. Not now though. I had never felt quite like this before. How could one person make me break the habits that came so naturally to me at this point. Come to think of it, I can distinctly remember the last time I had had a cigarette.

—

"I wouldn't if I were you" Blue quietly spoke behind me making me jump out of fright. I had to grip the metal beneath me to prevent my untimely demise. The sun was setting and we had been back for two days in Diamond City. The roof of my little shack I called home held a fragrance of petrichor and slight radiation. The smell of rain a pleasant sentiment that not all of the old world was gone…just tainted. A single smudged word in an article too vast to contemplate. I felt confident that it wouldn't be long before the world strung itself back together good as new like a teddy bear needing stitches. Particularly with good hearted, present company around. What pre-war curiosities I held I found in Blue. The way he spoke made me feel lost in time right along with him. A ride I was glad to be along for. It held mostly pain but the pleasure proved far greater. Blue was broken, he'd gone through so much, but not irreparable. And for some unnatural reason he refused to let the horrors he's witnessed be anything more than than a lesson to learn by, albeit a morally sickening one. I had been up on the roof casually laid back, sitting on the cold metal, leaning on my left hand.

"Wouldn't what?"

"Smoke. It's bad for your health you know." My flip lighter was raised in my right hand to place a flame at the end of the Grey Tortoise brand resting between my lips when he opened the door to join me on the roof. I rolled my eyes and scoffed.

"Yea well, traveling with you… i'm sure it won't be _this_ that kills me." It was meant to come out teasing and sarcastic but i'd be hard pressed to find anyone who could comprehend anything other than a tone of aggression. I paused at my own words and briefly wondered if I truly felt any hostility towards Nathan for endangering my life countless times. Then again, Blue had never once asked me to join him. I was always either thrown upon him by Nick or I begged to accompany him for the thrill of adventure and stories to write. And when I did join him he was nothing if not protective. So if it wasn't for that reason than why did I snap at him? I wasn't sure what irked me but it was…something. Blue's face fell down and I felt a twinge of guilt.

"Fair enough." He got down next to me and crossed his legs. I knew my habit was a hazardous one. I had known that since the moment I first picked it up. I remember my dad catching me one night. It was late and raining hard. Although, at the time, I lacked the common sense to find cover and kept finding that water droplets would put out the cigarette I so desperately tried to keep alive. When I finally had the bright idea to do so he found me, lighter in hand, cigarette facing the wrong way, he had sat me down and reprimanded me. I remember a lot of 'please don't's and 'no worse than jet, psycho, mentats' really whatever he could think of. I had never felt so ashamed. I never touched any drug or chem ever again…until he died. After that I felt angry. Angry that he had left Nat and I. Didn't he know we needed him? At some point I started smoking just to spite him. I quickly felt guilty and apologized to to my ceiling a few days later. But the habit stuck. I knew I shouldn't, but I just accepted it into my daily routine.

"May I?" Blue brought me back to reality with a small jump. He gestured to the pack I had lying on the roof. He looked as if he was trying to read the back of it but without picking it up he just strained his eyes.

"Of course" I said as I tilted my head up and to my left to blow smoke away from him. The whole reason I had trekked all the way to the roof was so that I didn't bother anyone. I had zero desire to tell him to leave however and it was a weak attempt to try and keep my smoke to myself. I made a choice to smoke. He didn't. I knew Nate wanted nothing to do with drugs and I was fine with that. More than happy actually. They were dangerous and I didn't want these things poisoning him. I cared about him too much for that. I was even apprehensive of his exposure to second hand smoke and toyed with the idea of putting out my cigarette until he left. I settled on merely trying not to blow smoke directly in his face.

"Pass the lighter will you?" I did it subconsciously. No thinking involved. Many times while we were at settlements Nate would often ask if I could hand him certain tools or miscellaneous junk that he could break down. Lighters being a common object of this transaction, I had not questioned it until I heard the little flick of the metal thumbwheel.

"Whoa! What do you think you're doing?" Blue had pulled out a cigarette of his own and was in the process of lighting the end when I realized his intention.

"Smoking" He replied plainly as he set down the lighter and lowered his head to stare up at the sky. He coughed quietly to himself. I reached over to try and take it from him but he wriggled away.

"Why? You don't smoke!"

"The tube of tobacco between my lips says otherwise." He spoke the words through loosely parted teeth holding a cigarette that hung limply at the side of his mouth. Suddenly I grew a bit wiser.

"Ah, I see what game you're playing at…it's not going to work."

"Oh? And what game might that be?" He responded casually. I flicked my head away without answering and tried to act as unperturbed as possible. Although this proved difficulty and I often found myself taking quick glances at him.

"Mmm, I can see how one could find these addictive." His comment threw me, I didn't want him getting addicted and I felt slight panic. My face must have shown this as he inhaled deeply to push me over the edge.

"Alright! That's enough!" This time he didn't stop me as I reached over and tugged the end from his mouth and threw it off the roof. He made an annoyed face but simply dug his body deeper against the metal of the roof and turned a few degrees away from me with a pouty face.

"Fine. I'll just buy my own from Mryna."

"Blue, come on. Don't be stupid."

"I'm not. You're right. Life is short. Lets not miss out." I opened my mouth to argue but found no words. How could I convince anyone not to smoke without being the biggest hypocrite in the wasteland.

"Never been a smoker so i'm not sure how often you're suppose to. I think i'll just light one up whenever you do." I rolled my eyes and sneered but my face quickly twisted back into an expression of anxiety. Was he really going to force himself to do something he hated every time I did just because I did?

"You're actually serious aren't you?"

"Dead serious" I gave an un-genuine laugh.

"So you're pretty much forcing me to quit?" I asked dumbfounded. I didn't think he would take the situation seriously enough to threaten his own health.

"No one's forcing you to do anything. Especially me. I need you to know that Piper." He turned to me with worried eye that I couldn't bring myself to meet. My eyes flickered to everything else, my feet, the rooftops, the stars…anything but those guilt inducing eyes.

"I'm merely following in your footsteps."

"Hey, you're the geezer here. Aren't I suppose to be following your guidance? Not the other way around?" I joked trying to ease the tension, but it came out more rude than anything else. What was with me? Blue was trying to show me how he felt. I was hating what he was doing which only reminded me of how he must feel when I did it. Nate was only looking out for me and I actually did appreciate his efforts. So why was I being such an ass? Despite the situation part of me knew that my anger was stemming from elsewhere but I couldn't pinpoint it. Blue took a moment to consider his words. For a moment I was scared i'd hurt his feelings. His past was touchy and not to be joked about and I just made reference to his two hundred year nap. I made a mental note to be less of an idiot in the future.

"Now that would be too easy. You know life doesn't like to work that way." He was right. My mind struggled to count the amount of times Nat would fail to listen to me. Blue continued following my silent response.

"We're in this together. If you want I mean-I…"

"Of course I do, Blue." I gave a heavy sigh. This almost felt like a fight. Almost. I felt relief to hear both of our words soften into something much nicer. I absolutely hated getting into it with him. He'd maybe argue one or two times and perhaps get slightly heated, I shivered as I remembered the time we were looking into a meat factory that had been getting people sick. We discovered the butcher had been using ghoul meat to feed his customers. Blue had been trapped in the lower section of the factory while I found a vent we could communicate through. I went and confronted the man while Nate was still trapped and ended up receiving a bullet to the arm from the crazed lunatic. Blue yelled at me later. Although it was mostly just a few words. 'Never again, Piper!' He apologized profusely the next day but I couldn't help but feel as though he took it easy on me. He was concerned for my safety and I nearly got myself killed from the accost that I undertook without so much as even my gun drawn. I thought I was invincible with words. Unfortunately he didn't feel like talking.

Yes, getting into a fight with Blue was not something I enjoyed. His style of fighting was short, brief and painful. Not because he was brutal but because it made me feel ashamed to have even gotten to this point of conflict with him. Meanwhile I was a firecracker of emotion. He mostly just made sad faces as I screamed at him. We never butted heads often but there had not been a single time that our bickering was out of anything but pure admiration for one another. Our fights were out of concern, nothing more.

"I was just thinking….I'm over 210 hundred years old." He chuckled slightly breaking the silence before continuing. "Surviving is in my nature and If I keep up the habit well, I don't want there to be a day where I have to live without you, Piper. I want to you know…grow old, spend the rest of my life with you." He had been looking at me when he said this but quickly tore his eyes away after he realized the weight of what he just said. I could tell that he hadn't meant to give those implications but he didn't take it back and we both grew more awkward by the second. He tilted his head ever so slightly in every direction to try and find any star he might have missed. I puffed away at my cigarette, every breath increasing my feeling of guilt. I stole the occasional glance his way to see if he was paying attention. Despite his promise he didn't share my action. Maybe he was scared if he tried again i'd throw him off the roof instead. The quiet was only broken when I noticed Nat playfully running to the door down below.

"Mmm. It's getting late. I have to get Nat something to eat. You want to crash on the couch or you going to head to the dugout again?"

"Ah the couch…um, i'll just stick to the dugout. I don't want to kill my back again." I laughed slightly but knew what was going on through his head. He didn't like either option. He wanted to lie with me but at the time I wasn't ready. I lifted my body a hair to get up but Blue put a hand on my chest stopping me.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's been a long day. Just take the night off. I'll take care of Nat okay?"

"Blue you don't h—" Every time i'd try to say otherwise he'd shush me with a smile. Eventually I gave up and tried to hand him a few caps he could use to buy noodles. He refused and I tossed them at him. He simply scooted them back with his foot.

"Have a good night okay." He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. He fought the urge to cough but his lungs got the better of him. I made a face and hurriedly put out my cigarette in a nearby ashtray. I hoped this would earn me more affection but he stood up straight and walked to the door.

"Don't stop on my account. No one can tell you what to do but you. Besides, I need to get used to it." And with that he opened the door and headed down. I sighed as I watched him from the roof go over to Polly for some reason, back to my place for an unusual length of time and then in the direction of the dugout. I had every intention of lighting up again after Blue left but for some reason I found myself laying back to look up at the stars like he did. When I finally realized I couldn't bring myself to finish the other half of the cigarette I put out, I went back inside since my only reason for being on the roof had been to do so. I thought about crawling directly into bed but instead went downstairs to check on Nat. She was splayed out on her sleeping bag messily. I lifted her arm gently to lay it on her chest and pulled up the blanket with a forehead kiss. Turning to head back up I noticed a plate on the counter with a note that simply read 'Got a headline for my widdle reporter: Vault Dweller, capable of cooking! P.S. I wuv you. - Blue' accompanied with a poorly drawn winky face. My face connected with my palm as I laughed.

"Ugh, Blue you're such a nerd" I muttered amusedly to myself. "I wuv you too" I added as I crumpled it up and aimed to tossed it in the trash. I couldn't help but smile though and shove it in my pocket instead. Blue hadn't just bought noodles he actually made a complete meal. I cursed myself for not coming down and eating with them but I think part of me knew that I needed that time alone. Something was bothering me. The more I began to think about it, the less it was about Blue and more about myself. What it was was still beyond me however. Although I didn't dwell on it too much. That night I fell asleep with a smile across my face.

I had only smoked once or twice after that night… with the company of Blue of course who had promised to partake with me, before deciding to quit all together.

"Really? Do—Do you need any help?" Nate was nothing but supportive when I told him.

"Of course not. This'll be simple. Quitting should be easier than getting pie from a port-a-diner."

"Uh, How much easier? Because the task you just stated is impossible."

"No it's not Blue. You literally just press the button."

"Piper, I'm telling you now, it's not that simple! You do realize that this is all I do when I go to the dugout right?" I laughed uncontrollably and felt the impulse to kiss him with his look of adorable frustration plastered across his face.

"Blue, aren't you allergic anyways?" I asked as we broke apart. He looked disappointed.

"That's beside the point." He made the gesture of slamming his fist sideways into his palm as he spoke. "This is a matter of honor."

"Right…Uh, so yea. Gonna quit."

"Yea! I'm proud of you. I'll quit too." I laughed at his proclamation but smiled back at him. He had kept his word and started smoking but his time of doing so hadn't gone on long.

"But really, let me know if you need help."

"Trust me Blue. This is a piece of cake…or pie in this case."

It wasn't. After a day I became twitchy and anxious about everything. Was Nat okay? Was Blue cheating on me? I felt sick a lot. Not to mention my inability to sleep. I'd stare at the ceiling for hours upon end. Sometimes i'd forget it and just write. Other nights I'd sneak out and crawl into bed with Blue at the Dugout. This was before we had started really sleeping together so he just held me in his arms. I actually found myself drifting off when I was with him. On top of everything all I wanted was just 'one more' cigarette. If it wasn't for Blue I never would have quit. The first time I cheated I found the pack that I kept in my desk. It took me all the way up to lighting the end that I realized what I had in my mouth wasn't a cigarette, but just tato leaves wrapped in paper. When I asked Blue about it he confessed it was his attempt to 'help'. When pressed why he went through the trouble of making fake cigarettes instead of just hiding what I had he simply shrugged. Sometimes he could be a bit eccentric.

Eventually, however, I did finally quit. It was funny how much he was changing me. It wasn't that he was trying to change me, I just was. I had noticed he had too. It was little things. Blue could be distant with those he had not yet learned to trust but something about being around me made him soften. He was kinder, gentler with those we came across. Offering help became a habit. Selflessness became a passion.

Once I mentioned that I admired his ability to pick locks. I didn't mean too much by it but after that he'd open any lock he could find. Even so far as to pick a lock to a door that, to the left of, had a ginormous hole we could walk through. I didn't care too much about it but every time he'd find a lock, give me a goofy grin, and say 'Hey Piper, watch this' my heart would do little flips. He so desperately wanted to show off for me.

—

Currently, even though on any other circumstance I would press further to see what was bothering him, I didn't. All I wanted was to hold him close and tell him it was going to be okay. Luckily he felt like sharing.

"It was those institute bastards." His eyes darted to the ground and they flicked back and forth as he tried to think of the right words. His jaw was shut fast and I could see his mandible tighten and loosen as he gritted his teeth. I remained silent and just held his hands as I waited for him to talk.

"They—they took her."

"Took who?" My mind flared up with panic as it tried to think of everyone I knew who might have been taken by the institute.

"My wife. Nora. They took Nora." My hands immediately pulled away. It was subconscious. I don't know what I would have done if I took a second to think before reacting. But I didn't think and I recoiled at her name with a followup of overwhelming guilt. His face grew heavier when I did and he took a step back in an almost hurt manner.

"I-I went to give her a proper burial. Fuck, I know I shouldn't have left her there but I couldn't…I couldn't" He covered his face with one hand and ended up biting his knuckle to muffle an angered scream.

"She wasn't there. Her body is gone. I don't where she is."

"Blu—"

"It was the institute. I know it is." I wasn't sure what to say or even how to react. I just watched as he paced around more and more in rage. He was pissed to say the least, and he had every right to be. I almost felt jealous. He cared so much. But how awful was I to feel like this over the dead spouse of the man I was in a relationship with. I frowned as I cursed myself for my thoughts. There was no reason he shouldn't love her. She is—was his wife for goodness sake. And now he was trying to move on. I knew he loved me. That didn't mean he had to stop loving her and the memories they shared…But what made me nervous is the thought that he just might not love me as much.

"Shhh. Just relax Blue. It'll be okay. I-we'll fix this." I tried to pull him into an embrace but he tried to squirm away.

"No, no!" I tried again and this time he didn't try hard and let me hold his head to my chest until he calmed down. When had I started crying?

"I don't want you going anywhere until you calm down, okay." He pushed off of me shaking his head.

"I think I got it ready to go, whenever you're ready!" Sturges yelled over the sound of the contraption whirring to life. I shot daggers his way and he flinched under my vicious glare. Blue electricity shot every which way from it. It looked dangerous. Nate walked away despite my protest and entered a nearby building without a word. I couldn't tell if he was mad at me or not. I remained motionless and I couldn't decide if I should follow him and try to talk him down or stand my ground and hope he realized his rashness. He came out a moment later with a yawning Deacon.

"Okay, this it. Don't screw this up alright! Remember to stick your quantum harmonizer in their photonic resonation chamber!" Deacon yelled over the sound of the machine.

"You mean get a holotape into one of their terminals?!" Blue asked.

"Sure, I mean I guess, but what I said sounds cooler! You got some stealth boys?!" Deacon nodded with his head to the direction of Nate's duffle.

"Change of plans! I'm abandoning the sneak approach! Going in guns a blazing!"

"You're kidding right?! That's Suicide!"

"Maybe, but i'm not going to just let those institute demons do any more harm to the commonwealth!"

"Whoa, Blue please. Please don't do anything crazy." He turned around to face me.

"I'm sorry. I have to do something." He took me into his arms and kissed my forehead before looking over at Sturges. "What should I do?"

"Just step on when you're ready. I'll handle the rest." Blue brought his attention back to me and briefly studied my face before pulling me into a long kiss. It was filled with love but also anger and irritation that I couldn't tell if it was directed at me for trying to make him stay or his overwhelming emotions towards the institute forcing its way into our kiss. I tried to make it last as long as I could because I knew the moment we parted meant he'd leave. I wasn't ready for that.

"I'm coming back. I promise." he whispered into my ear before giving my cheek another kiss and stepping backwards towards the machine. My heart thumped like crazy while the rest of my body stayed motionless as he stepped onto the platform. There was a flash of light forcing me to close my eyes tight. When I opened them he was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

Notes:

First thing first: I'm sorry. I'm awful. I know. This chapter took me figuratively forever. I swear i'd write one or two sentences everyday and after i'd just stop. The worst thing is I was so excited because I was certain that I knew exactly what I was doing and I did. However, my plans of just sitting down and writing it all out did not go as planned. I had a terrible case of on and off writers block. And after I finished it I actually rewrote it because I didn't want it to feel disconnected since I wrote it at very different times. Im somewhat unhappy with this chapter...not because I actually am, but because it is dark and sad and contains no fluff.

Which leads me to...

TRIGGER WARNING: Brief mention of parental abuse. It just happened. I'm sorry. The character told me. (I make no sense) It is very very brief, but im almost certain that this will be addressed between our two characters in a later chapter. So I apologize.

Note: Frankenstein would exist in the fallout timeline. I did my research ;)

So there will be some trouble in paradise for a small while, but you fluff lovers hang in there. More to come, but this chapter marks the reign of angst!

Also, thank you all for dealing with me. I love you all.

POV: Nate

My heart beat fast like a generator on new juice. So fast I bet I could put a thousand fusion cores out of work. The strain on my small overloaded muscle was overwhelming and I was sure it would burst right out of my chest. All air had dispelled from my lungs. I was drowning, I was drowning in a void of nothingness and there was nothing and no one that would be able to save me now. My jaw opened to scream but I lacked the ability and the strength to do so. The worst part was the pain. I felt nothing but blue light tearing at my skin relentlessly. This was it. This was what death felt like. Funny, I always thought the light was suppose to be white…or red. Or maybe hell had finally frozen over just for me.

Just when I thought my body could take no more the pain relented, my physical suffering ceased. I felt my back harshly hit cool metal flooring as I gasped for air, my lungs painfully compensating to prevent themselves from caving in. My head spun and a sharp ringing pierced my ears. I used my palm to smack my right side before looking around with blurry vision. I was alone in what appeared to be a round room with odd mechanical panels and bulbs. An exit was plain before me and I rolled over to push myself up. I clumsily stumbled through the archway before collapsing in front of an abandoned computer terminal and busting my lip against the edge.

Whatever method of teleporting the institute had used in Kellogg's memory this was not it. Maybe I had rushed things with Sturges or maybe the plans taken from the courser chip were not entirely complete. It didn't matter. I had made it into the institute but at the cost of my health. My body felt weak and standing didn't seem like a viable option in that moment. Carefully, I dragged myself over to a wall and rested my head against the smooth surface. Taking in my surroundings I noticed the room looked untouched in quite a while. It was unlikely anyone would be wandering in here anytime soon. I was safe. At least for now. I grimaced at the behemoth of a computer terminal before me. One side of it covered in my blood. I dragged my thumb across my bottom lip to assess the damage. Quite a bit of crimson made its way onto my hand, slowly dripping down the length of my finger and pooling in my palm. Of course nothing fatal but it hurt like hell.

I ruffled through my bag only to realize I had three stimpaks. In my haste and irrational behavior I must of forgotten my smaller medical bag at the house. Shit. I had nearly 50 in there for this. I hoped Piper didn't find it. She'd freak if she knew I was in the belly of the beast with nothing more than a few dirty needles of health I scavenged off some dead raiders. It would have to do. I briefly considered using one. Not just for my lip but my whole body. Every muscle felt like it was pulsing and to my dismay my heart still felt like it was in overdrive. I slapped my neck twice trying to still my hand but it only slipped past to fall in my lap. Third times a charm. I counted my pulse. It felt like a drum about to explode. I knew I was dying.

I found the least rusty of the three chems and jammed it into my shoulder with gritted teeth. The effect was nearly immediate. My pulse picked up with intense breathing. I pinched the skin of my lip to bring the split closed, acting as a human stitch to help the wound heal. It took around two minutes, which I shut my eyes for, before I felt the effects stop. I felt better, stronger. But a stimpak could do nothing for the growing anxiety inside me. I had no medicals supplies, no aid of stealth. What was wrong with me? In my anger I prepared little and as a result I had little. The only supplies I had were a combat rifle (With less than adequate amounts of ammo), the flimsy green flannel taken from a gunner, and three—two stimpaks. I was royally fucked. Maybe I could make this work. Get the info from the terminal, knock out a guard…or a worker, steal their clothes. Maybe they'd fall for the whole dress as the enemy trope. I'd get my son and we'd be out of there in—

"Hello" I immediately lost all train of thought as a voice rang out over some invisible speaker. There was a long pause and I wondered if I had imagined the voice.

"I wondered if you might make it here. You're quite resourceful." The voice sounded calm but powerful. I stood up to try and find the source.

"Who are you?…Where are you?" I yelled to into the air with hopes of a reply.

"I'm known as Father. The institute is under my guidance." I took his response to mean that he could hear me and the more he spoke the more malaise I built.

"Come out and face me you bastard!"

"I know why you're here. I'd like to discuss things with you face to face. Please, step into the elevator." Elevator? With my new chem induced health I bolted down the hall only to reach a dead end. There was no elevator. At least not in the traditional sense. A glasslike tube stood in the middle of the room. It slid open as if aware of my presence. Apprehensively, I took a few steps onto the platform. I went to hit the button but the ground slowly fell beneath me. My instinct was to reach for my gun. I realized it was only the elevator starting to move but I did not holster my weapon. If I was going down I was going down fighting.

"I can only imagine what you've heard. What you think of us."

"What _I think_ is that you're all god complex holding monsters who kill…and kidnap" My voice choked on the two sinful acts that triggered terror and anger in my mind. "For no greater reason than the betterment of your own goddamn asses through promises of a better life and false salvation!"

"I'd like to show you that you may have…the wrong impression."

"Wrong impression? Wrong impression! You took _everything_ from me! There's only one way to FUCKING INTERPRET THAT!"

"Welcome to the institute." He couldn't hear me. He mustn't.

"This is the reality of the institute: This place, these people, the work we do…" His voice turned into empty chatter. There was no way. If he could hear me he would have realized I wasn't listening. His words, although holding no controversy, lit the match that would ignite a bomb. As the elevator descended it showed more and more of the facility. Everything was so…clean. Unnatural. I wanted out. My fists connected with the glass over and over desperately, my instincts trying to save me to no end. I stopped and recoiled away from the walls when a sense of familiarity fell over me. Trapped behind glass…beating until my fists bled…this was something I knew all to well. Something I did not want to relive for the third time. Being forced to see it again at the Memory Den had proved to be nearly too much to handle already.

"…decades of research, countless experiments and trials, a shared vision of how science can help shape the future."

"Yea! But at what cost!" I knew I now yelled at no one but that did not stop my hate filed screams.

"It has never been easy and our actions are often misinterpreted by those above ground." At this point I was fuming. I didn't care what supplies I had. I was going to slit this man's throat with his own scalpel.

"…I'd like to talk to you about what _we_ can do for everyone." I scoffed at that.

"If that's what you think, you've got another think coming to you. I'd never help you in another 200 years."

"But that can wait. You are here for a specific, very personal reason. You are here for your son…" Finally.

"Yes! Yes. Where is Shaun? Where is my boy?" I had to maneuver into another elevator but my anger was almost replaced entirely by excitement, I was going to see my boy. Almost. If the institute thought they could just give him back as if nothing ever happened then they're idiots. When the next elevator opened I fell motionless. There was my son. It was him no doubt. He had my dark brown hair but shared his mothers bright green eyes. God, he was beautiful. I reveled in the pride of seeing the small young man before me. His age a sad reminder to the years lost. He seemed about 10 but it was impossible to tell. I took calm steps towards him so as not to startle him. I panicked when realizing he was behind glass. I pulled at the door to the little containment area with no success. Not wanting to start banging on glass again I crouched down to his level and spoke through the barrier.

"Shaun?"

"Huh? Yes, i'm Shaun"

"Shaun? Oh my god. It's really you!" Not even caring about my hearts recent level changes, I smiled in delight with it going a mile per minute. I found my son, I had _finally_ found him. I did it—Piper and I did it. I wished she was here. The desire to kiss her was driving me mad. None of this, any of this wouldn't have happened if not for her. I owed her everything. And I was sure as hell going to show her just how much she meant to me when I got back—if I got back. It dawned on me that I may now not get out of this scenario alive.

"Who…Who are you?" The fact that he remained clueless to my identity cut deep. This was not what I wanted. After the relationship I held with my father I promised I would do better. Although it was not my fault that he had been taken from me, I felt the guilt of not being there for him weigh heavily upon me. Could he ever forgive me for that?

"Shaun, it's me. I'm…I'm your dad."

"Father! What's going on? What's happening!"

"Yes! It's me! Your dad…I'm here, Shaun."

"Father! Father!" He kept calling out and the painful realization that he wasn't talking to me occurred. These bastards…Did they really make him believe he was the son of another man?

"I don't know you. Go Away!"

"Shhhh…It'll be okay, Shaun. I'm here now." Time seemed meaningless. The more I tried to speak to him the less of a chance I had of convincing him of the truth. He chaotically called for 'Father' and eventually his wish was granted in the form of an opening door. A man dressed in a green sweater and a white lab coat stepped into the room. I pointed my gun without second guessing as his tongue spat out random letters and number followed by a key phrase. With that my son shut off.

—

POV: Piper

I had known this had been his plan from the start. Find a way into the institute and get his son back. Simple. And it had always been my plan to help him in exchange for an interview. What I hadn't planned for was falling in love with the man. How could I have been so stupid? It was hard enough to constantly worry about Nat. Now, I have to worry about Blue too? When the asinine machine finally powered down and the dangerous blue lightning came to a halt, I sauntered over to the platform and stared hollowly at it. Deacon and Sturges joined me but left after a monotonous twenty minutes. When twenty minutes became a full half hour, I stood aimlessly for another ten by myself. I ran as if scared i'd miss his return to grab my journal and come back. I sat down next to the machine with my legs crossed. I was unaware of the method in which he'd return but I refused to believe he wouldn't. He had to.

 _Why are you letting this get to you right now, Piper. He just left. Go busy yourself…which is why you grabbed your journal…to get work done…which can easily be completed anywhere._ _Might as well multitask._ I think my worst fear was that he'd come back injured and bleeding like the time we went to vault 81. If I stayed by the teleporter I could at least yell for help if he came back too weak to do so himself.

"Okay…time to write." I flipped open to a new page, slid my hand across the blank surface, and clicked my pen once…and then several more times.

"Writing….now." But words refused to come. I had written my article about 'The View From the Vault' nearly five times already. Every time i'd crinkle it up or delete it from my terminal. Something was never right. I sighed. It had been so long since I've written an actual article. The last one I could remember publishing was the article that almost got me kicked out of the city. Oh god. Had it really been six months since my last article? There was a lot riding on this which made me nervous. If I didn't do a good job or said something controversial this could be the end of living in Diamond City. I guess Nat and I could always just move here to Sanctuary but there's no school system which is my biggest concern. I tried to imagine what Blue would say about this whole thing. Probably something on the lines of publishing what my heart feels and screw the consequences. He was effusive like that. But I really did need to consider the weight of my actions, for Nat if not anything else. If I only had to worry about myself than i'd agree whole heartedly. Fuck the repercussions! But I did have more to worry about than just myself. Although i'd never admit to anyone, after nearly getting thrown out I was well… scared. Not writing the truth though felt like a bigger crime and frankly I knew Blue would build a schoolhouse here in a heartbeat for me if I asked.

No, no controversy. Just state the facts. Mention the kidnappings because no one can deny that they've occurred…give people hope that maybe their loved ones could be found. God knows how much Blue has fought to find his son. After pondering a bit longer I managed to write quite a bit, albeit with frequent breaks. It didn't help that the article was mostly about Blue. Every time i'd write something too close to home i'd fret and watch the teleporter without progress. However, come nightfall I realized just how much I had written. Hell, I could probably turn this into two—three editions. I smiled to myself. Hopefully that could cover rent for a few more months. People never completely liked what I wrote but they couldn't say they weren't curious. Nearly everyone in the city had a subscription, just to _see_ what I would come out with. Thankfully, that's all it took to make an impact.

Something was missing from the article though. Something near the end. A statement? I never asked Nate to make a statement. With a small curse inwards I decided to publish part one and two and hopefully get a statement to tack on to the end before putting out part three. With all my work done I harshly shut my journal and threw it aside before lifting my arms behind my head to lie back. With a whole day wasted on nothing but drawn out work, the stars were out. Blue was such a fanatic about stargazing. I could see the appeal. They were beautiful. But to Blue it meant more. Apparently, or so he says, the lights back before the war were so bright that one could hardly see the stars. I had trouble believing that. How could something so bright ever be forced not to shine?

—

POV: Nate

Sixty years? No, I couldn't have been out _that_ long. This wasn't happening. My son had three decades on me. And if that wasn't enough he had become the leader of the institute. I begged him to stop this, pleaded for him to leave and come above ground with me. I tried to remind him that he was kidnapped from me—pried from the hands of his dead mother by the institute. It meant nothing to him. I meant nothing to him. I was no father to him. He had been raised by the institute. _He_ _was_ the Institute.

"The institute is now your home as much as it is mine. Please, take some time and get to know it. Meet the people you'll be working with." That was easier said than done. The people here were cold and rigid. Near moments after leaving his company I was encountered by a man in a institute jumper. He cleaned the floors at a moderately steady pace and I assumed he was a synth by his mechanical movements. He was less developed than some synths I had met in the past, but he carried no less emotions than myself. I could see the melancholy expression etched on to his face. He had no desire to be where he was. I thought about approaching him but that idea quickly faded when a scientist, revealed by his pristine white lab coat, began to reprimand and belittle him for no apparent reason. I continued to walk past them. Part of me screamed 'run!', but the other half of me wanted to give it all a chance, for my son. I'd do anything to have my family again. If only Nora could tell me what to do. My mind cycled possible scenarios of how much better she would have handled the situation. It should have been me. Why didn't I grab Shaun? If only one of us could have made it…it should have been her.

"I wish you were here, love." Holding onto the ring tied around my neck, I whispered my panicked prayers to her.

"So, here you are." A voice brought me back violently to reality. I jumped as my head snapped up. Somehow I had idly made my way to one of the wings of the elaborate labyrinth of a building.

"Justin Ayo, acting director of the Synth Retention Bureau." He was an older man with grey thinning hair and his eyes were dark, seemingly almost black. Although his actual physical appearance was drastically different, he reminded me oddly of my father. Something about the way he spoke and the manner in which he held himself sent shivers down my spine. My chest tensed and my throat constricted to protect the fading scars of cigarette burns scattered about my neck.

"Our primary responsibility is the recovery of escaped synths that are hiding among the human population on the surface." I had paid little mind to anything other than the mixture of fear and hatred rebuilding inside me that I hadn't felt in years. The lack of release from my cocktail of emotions brought on by the memory of my long gone father now boiling over. It wasn't until his mention of retrieving escaped synths that I finally gave him any real interaction.

"If the synths want to be free, you should let them." I gave no restraint to the anger interwoven in my voice.

"Synths do not want. They might look like human beings, but they are machines." He grimaced at my response but remained calm in his. "As to why they're escaping, that matter is currently under investigation." I scoffed, everything finally snapping, before responding,

"They're escaping because they're tired of being treated like slaves! They're escaping because you treat them all like shit! They are escaping because they want to be free! What part of that don't you understand?"

"I'll ask you not to raise your voice at me again sir. You may be close with Father but that does not excuse you from—"

"Oh yea? And what are going to do about it, huh?" I brought my face close to his while pushing his shoulder with the tips of my fingers. Subconsciously I knew that what I was doing was foolish. But that usually never deterred me. I had too much raw emotion running through my veins to stop now.

"Well, i'm sure if you won't listen to reason we could always pay that bucket of bolts you call a friend a visit." Valentine. He was threatening Valentine. That man may have been a synth but he might as well been my best friend in this new world. I didn't see a need to reply. I simply connected my already closed, anger driven fist directly into his face. An audible snap emanating from his nose. I drew away slowly in horror of my action while he did so quickly. He backed away, running into a wall before bringing his hand up to try and stop the bleeding.

"Shit! Hey, look i'm sor…I didn't mean to—" I reached my hand out towards him as a white flag, but he waved his hand for me to move. I immediately stepped back as he used the back of his hand to wipe away streams of blood twice before he pushed past me towards the door.

"Wait! Hey!" I was too late. He had left. Shaky hands, seemingly my own but with no feeling to verify, traveled up my face to hide my anger and shame ridden expression. I stood there lamely by myself for a good several minutes before punching the wall, causing more damage to my hand, and carelessly pushing the door open myself. My mind had jumped ships several times in the past few months so who could say for certain that this would be my final destination. But in that moment I made up my mind. The institute was an awful, cold, ignorant place lead by none other than my misguided son. There was no saving grace. They hid behind false ideas of saving humanity to help them sleep at night but they were no heroes to the waste. I made up my mind in that moment that I hated the institute…And that was exactly the reason I had to stay.

—

POV: Piper

"Psst. Ey. Time to wake up doll."

"Mmmm" I moaned at the nuisance shaking me softly. I was in the middle of something so nice.

"Come on darlin'. You can go back to cloud 9 real soon, but you gotta head inside." I reluctantly let my eyes flutter open. Nick was standing over me with a worried expression. I sighed as I ran a hand down my face to brush off sleep. I must have drifted off.

"What time is it?"

"I'd say somewhere around eleven. Come on, to bed you go." I looked around me only to be greeted by darkness. It had become late enough where you could hardly see your own hand in front of your face. The only perceivable thing was Nick's yellow glowing eyes illuminating soft light onto his face and casting jagged shadows.

"If it's alright Nick, I don't feel like going back to sleep for a while. I think i'll just go for a walk or something." Nick's eyes glanced upwards and then to my face as an eyebrow raised.

"Not gonna happen, Piper. It's way to late for you to go walking by yourself."

"Not gonna tell me what to do, Valentine. I can make my own decisions."

"I didn't mean—Alright. Alright. Fair point."

"Besides who said i'd be by myself? Walk with me?"

"Maybe it isn't late out for you, but I do have my own notions."

"Nicky, you don't sleep. Or at least you don't need to. Then again smoking doesn't do anything for you either but you still do that… Or do you need to 'power down' for a bit and recharge?" I finished genuinely curious. Nick simply blinked a few times before responding.

"Am I still talking to Piper or a reporter?"

"Is that a rhetorical question? Come on, I don't feel like sleeping."

"Tell you what. Grab a drink with me at the bar?" To say that it was a bar would be a bit of an overstatement. Blue had stocked up on some liquor, built a pool table, and hired a settler to work the counter. Unfortunately, the settler, Tom I think his name was, knew nothing of mixing drinks. So he sold alcohol by the bottle, Nuka Cola from a cooler, and let you deal with the rest. It was nothing to get real excited about. However, Nate knew how to mix a few drinks and would often take over the place when he was in Sanctuary. I had no idea what a Mai Tai was, let alone that it was my favorite drink until he insisted on making me one. When Blue was here everything and everyone became more alive. People would laugh and the radio would be turned high.

"Maybe i'm over thinking this, and I often do, but won't engaging in social drinking cause you to short circuit. Don't get me wrong that sounds great, I just don't want you burning a fuse." A small chuckle escaped his lips at my remark.

"The drinks would be more for you than me. I have to go regardless. I promised the new blood I'd buy him a drink. You should meet him."

"New blood?"

"Yea. Some merc kid from Good Neighbor. Nathan picked him up while he went out scavenging for a sensor module for the relay dish."

"Hmm. I know it killed the cat…Not sure why it killed the cat, but mark me down as curious. Alright, i'm in." I held on to Nick's metallic arm as he carefully guided me through the dark street into a small pre-war house. It was rather empty when I stepped through the doorway. Curie hovered back and forth near the end wall talking to Sturges while Marcy was passed out against the counter. There was one other settler in the corner talking to the new guy. His back was turned and I couldn't make out his face. Side stepping I was able to view more of his attire. He wore light brown leather and green clothing. Various pouches and ammo were strapped to his thigh and hat, giving him a sort of 'I know what i'm doing' kind of look. He definitely fit the bill for a mercenary. He soon became aware of our entrance and turned around entirely, still slightly chuckling from a joke he had just heard. I froze on the spot unsure of what to do while his smile turned in to a huge grin.

"Piper?" MacCready quickly turned back to the settler to utter words of departure before taking large strides in our direction. Nick turned to me rather surprised and I couldn't blame him. How could he have known MacCready and I went way back.

"Fu-Funnel cakes! Piper! Funny seeing you here. Missed you, love." He gave a quick wink.

"Can't say the feelings mutual Mac." He laughed a bit before responding,

"Well good to see you too. Tell me, when are we going to have that one-on-one interview, Piper?"

"Oh, MacCready. Never in a million years."

"Aw come on don't be like that. Can't we just leave the past in the past."

"Exactly! I've moved on and i'd love to keep the past where it belongs…behind me." I didn't bother sticking around any longer. I turned sharply and headed out the door after telling Valentine,

"You know what? I think I've change my mind. Goodnight Nicky." I felt rather rude leaving Nick like that, but i'd rather be an ass and apologize later than attempt to deal with that jerk. I walked quickly in the direction of my room. I bunked with Curie. I was never quite sure why she had her own room. Being a Mrs. Nanny she didn't exactly have the need for sleep. In fact, she often wandered around Sanctuary so she wouldn't wake me with her mechanical movements. It was rather sweet of her honestly, however I'd be perfectly fine if she wanted to stay inside the small building with me. I think Blue did it on purpose. He was in charge of most things around here including room assignment. Funny thing is he gave me the room long before we were together. I think he knew Curie wouldn't bother me and it was an easy way to give me more space without showing special treatment. It was unnecessary, but I was grateful nonetheless. In fact I wouldn't have minded a roommate at all. A breathing body always made it easier for me to imagine I was back home with Nat. My mind briefly considered if I should make my way back home. With Nate gone I didn't see a lot of reasons to stay.

Nearly at my room I tripped over a small tree root and face planted into the earth. It was nearly impossible to see and I silently wished I had Nick's robotic eyes. I pushed myself up and slowly brushed off the dirt and dust that made it onto my dark jeans. I definitely needed to wash them. Living in the wasteland, things like getting to wash the clothes off your back was rare. I staggered a few steps and rested my hand on the door about to open it when I glanced behind me. Nate's house sat across the small worn street, a welcome mat slightly askew at it's doorstep. With Nate gone there was no real reason to go inside. At least until I noticed a flicker of candlelight from the window. It _was_ dangerous to leave a flame lit… I pushed off my door and carefully made my way across. I didn't want to repeat my unpleasant accident. Stepping up to the door I slowly ran my fingers over the orange chipping paint. A small piece fell off in my hand and I flinched. I knew Nate wouldn't care but I wanted to leave everything intact. He deserved every last remembrance of his old life. However, would this stop me from going inside? Definitely not. There is a reason everyone calls me a snoop.

The door creaked slightly as it opened. I looked around lazily whilst shutting the deteriorating wood behind me. I small candle stick was set on his kitchen table. I quickly walked up to it and pinched the wick with my fingers, followed by cursing myself for being an idiot. I sucked on the tip of my finger slightly before shaking my hand as if to shake away the pain. I stood lamely in the middle of the room, now with no purpose. Sighing, I decided to go to bed. Specifically to Blue's bed. I didn't want to go back outside and I figured he wouldn't care in the slightest. Neither would he care if I stole his clothes. I shook off my jacket and hung it on the black coat rack he kept near the door. I peeled off my clothing while making my way into his room. I bumped my head against the door way when pulling my black t-shirt in just the right spot to cloud my vision. Now irritated, I rummaged through his drawers and pulled out a shirt that was of course to big for me.

I collapsed with a groan onto the bed and buried my face into the blanket. It smelled like him. Laying sideways, my feet hung off the side. I rolled over to stare at the ceiling. There were a few holes but for the most part it was pretty sturdy. I wondered how Nate was able to cope with all this. I had seen pictures, drawings of the old world. It all seemed so…perfect. I was born into the irradiated waste of a land. I was used to it. But Nate, Nate lived in that perfect life. He had a perfect house, a perfect world, a perfect wife. How could the wasteland—How could I ever be good enough compared to what he used to have?

Since I was requisitioning his bed and stealing his clothes I might as well take advantage of his liquor supply. I got up and made my way to the kitchen, pulled out an unopened bottle of whiskey, and twisted off the top. The strong smell of alcohol hit my nose and made my head spin. I set down the bottle as I opened a cupboard to pull out a glass. Pouring a small amount, I put the glass in the fridge and took a swig directly from the bottle. Consistently drinking, I went looking around the house. On the shelf stood a framed paper. I squinted to try and read it. Hundreds of years of decay really does a number on written documents. I was able to make out 'Suffolk County School of Law' and 'ora'. Next to it was a folded triangular flag that had Nate's name carved into the wooden border. It had years engraved into it that were long before my time. Another reminder of just how different we are. Another swig.

"Fuck you, Nate!" I didn't mean it, but in my drunken state I was pissed at him, at myself, at the fact that I was a wreck over somebody. I was angry that I let myself get so close to someone. If the wasteland had taught me anything it's that devotion only led to heartbreak. In today's day and age it's too dangerous for love. I could barely take care of Nat. But Blue was an adult. He made decisions…even if they wound up getting him killed. And there was nothing I could do about it. Who was I to dictate his life.

Eventually I felt sick to my stomach. I hadn't drank this much in a long time. I grabbed at the wall to try and steady myself as I felt the world spin around me. I stumbled down the hallway and practically fell into the bathroom. Becoming intimate with the porcelain, my body forced me to detox. After some time I made my way to the sink to splash some water on my face. It was one of the best things about Nate's house: running water. Being a klutz and still somewhat drunk I ended up knocking a small bag off the counter above the sink. Sighing I got down to pick it up. Unfortunately it was open and its contents had spilled onto the floor. I carefully started stuffing them into the bag. It took me several moments to realize that the bag contained nothing but medical supplies. Stimpaks and gauze practically overflowing. Glancing down at the bag again I remembered it as the bag Nate asked me to grab from his pack when he was injured back at Vault 81. I blinked once just staring at it. Nate always brought this with him when out on a mission. He forgot it. Of course he fucking forgot it. I had seen how upset he was. Knowing Nate, he probably only brought a pistol with a single bullet. In which he would proceed to take down the entire institution with…He was going to die. Fuck, he was probably all ready dead. I laughed, my voice cracking as it turned into a sob. I backed up until my I felt the wall behind me and slid down to sit on the cold floor. I had gotten so lost in my own nightmarish thoughts that I barely heard footsteps enter the room.

—

POV: Nate

After the fiasco with Ayo I had to admit I was a tad paranoid. Every once and a while stealing a glance over my shoulder to see if he had sent a synth to kill me quietly in an abandon hallway. It just felt like something he would do…or my father would do. Frankly, in that moment the two just seemed to blend into one person.

I continued to wander around meeting new people. One of which used to work for the brotherhood in fact. She was quite cold to me but something about her made me like her instantly. In my head she was either too good for this place or would be a valuable future ally.

Despite my decision to stay with the institute I decided to track down a terminal to upload information for the Railroad. Maybe I was playing the field, maybe I felt the need to please everyone, maybe it was wrong, but everything was too much and being logical wasn't exactly my biggest concern. I felt overwhelmed by everything while somehow being simultaneously underwhelmed with how things turned out compared to my expectations. I dream too big. It was a habit that i'd need to kill if I ever wanted to make it in this new world.

After uploading the information onto a holotape I needed something to distract me. Vergil. I had promised Vergil I'd find the cure he had left at the institute. And that is exactly what i'd do. It took me a while but I found an FEV lab terminal in the bio science wing. I had never been great at hacking terminals. I picked random options and got locked out…twice. I made an audible groan as I managed to get locked out for the third time. I kicked myself as I covered my mouth with my hand and ended up biting my knuckle to muffle my scream as I found myself with one chance left with every choice I made giving me a zero probability. Why wasn't Piper here? She understood terminals. I ended up taking a shot in the dark. 'Mountains' I hit enter with my fingers crossed and had to stop myself from cheering when I heard the click and hiss of the door opening.

Traveling through the halls I found my brow lowering in confusion. The walls seemed decayed, there was broken glass, and it seemed practically abandoned. I got so caught up with the appearance of the room that I nearly missed the red laser trip wire on the ground. I didn't bother to disarm it. I simply stepped over the trap and carried on. Near the corner of one of the turns in the hallway laid a broken synth. It was easy to identify it as one. This synth wore no clothes, neither did it look the part of a human. It had easily identifiable robotic eyes and attempted hidden screws and panels. Parts of its chest was worn and exhibited frayed wires. I reached down and picked up the institute pistol from its hand. I sighed realizing it only had one fusion cell. I pocketed it none the less. Carrying on I noticed several turrets. I crouched down. They hadn't noticed me and I planned to use it to my advantage. Carefully I found each in my sights and put a bullet in their lens. Every time they'd explode and i'd lower my head to avoid the blinding light.

"Oh, Come on!" Being quiet was no longer my concern. The place was abandoned and I felt the need to show my anger audibly when I noticed another terminal. Incoherent curses were muttered under my breath as I approached it. Fortunately for me I had the luck of cracking it in the first try. I nearly regretted it. As soon as the door slid opened I was greeted by a robotic voice and robotic movements. There was no time for me to hide. The assaultron picked up my signs of life the moment the door opened. Hell, it probably noticed me before. I had only fought one of these before and I only managed to take it down when I came across a skeleton with a fat man.

"Scanners detecting sentient life."

"Shit." I fired a few rounds into its chest which only seemed to piss it off. I took off in a run past it as it lunged at me. I slid under an old desk in the room for cover as I reloaded. Remaining behind the desk I rose up onto the balls of my feet to fire and miss before finally landing a few shots to embed in its metallic head. I regretted my decision immediately. The assaultron began to charge its red energy attack. I remembered the last time I had seen that. If that couldn't cut through solid steel i'd be surprised. In a panic I had the bright idea to attack it before it could finish. I rolled away from my cover and hopped up to practically jump on top of it and bash it with my gun. It fell over with me. Fortunately, it not only stopped it from charging its attack but I also managed to do quite a bit of damage. Unfortunately, however, in my not well thought out plan I succeeded in sliding my gun all the way across the room and it was not in a forgiving mood. Lying on my back I watched as it slowly stood up on its feet. In a moment it would dig its cold claw into my chest and i'd be a dead man. My eyes widened as I remembered my salvation. I fumbled with my pocket as I pulled out the institute pistol I had found. One cell equaled one shot. I couldn't mess this up. As it raised its hand to bring down upon me, I raised the gun, closed my eyes and shot. I had stopped breathing.

Heavy metal fell on top of me and I gasped as I pushed the dead assaultron off.

"Whoo!" I jumped up and rolled my shoulders in victory and jogged across the room to retrieve my lost gun. After that I came across a few more trip wires and turrets. Nothing I couldn't handle with my newly found adrenaline induced vigor. After a few twists and turns I burst into a new room with my gun immediately drawn. Two super mutants floated in a tank. A dim green light making the whole room appear rather eerie. I turned my head to avoid looking at them. Even though they were super mutants it still felt…wrong. I know it was probably used for extraordinary research and all that but If I was entirely honest, science stuff like this creeped me out. My mother and I would always watch these old science fiction movies when I was quite young. One in particular, the first film adaptation of Frankenstein, gave me nightmares for months. I couldn't help but draw parallels between the two hulking figures and their experimented on state. I quickly tore the room apart. I didn't want to be in the room longer than I had to. Eventually I found the experimental serum and took off through a door in the room. It led back out to the bio science wing and I had to use a terminal to lower some unusual institute tech I had never seen before that blocked the exit with blue beams of light that made me shiver in remembrance of the teleporter.

Stuffing the cure into my pocket I calmed and slowly started walking towards the exit of the wing. That was until I noticed a short man in a lab coat exit a room I had not thought to look in. He gave me a nervous look as he left the wing entirely. I didn't pay much mind to it except, he had left the door open. Not to mention there was a terminal to the right of it signifying that the room usually remained locked. My head turned left and right. Nobody in particular was paying me any mind. I took a few short steps to the open doorway. The room was dark. Faint shadows from small machine lights that could not be turned off were littered about the room. The one thing that stood out the most was a shadowed figure that lay motionless on a gurney. It was impossible to identify the figure without further inspection but I couldn't shake the sense of anxiety it brought. I had a strange feeling forming in the pit of my stomach. I could make out several tubes traveling from the figures arm to an IV bag.

I took a small step forward. There seemed no harm in taking a closer look—

"You're quite the one to get into trouble now, aren't you? I nearly jumped out of my skin as a hand reached past me to calmly press a button that caused the door to slide closed. I watched as the figure disappeared from my sight before turning around, gulping.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack, Shaun." I laughed nervously but he did not return the gesture. When he didn't make any further comments I asked,

"What was that in there? A synth? I don't unders—"

"What is in there is nothing to concern you at the moment. That particular project isn't quite done yet, but i'm sure it will be something you're interested in come the near future." My brow furrowed as I gave him a confused look.

"It would be best if you do not involve yourself in matters that do not involve you." He paused before continuing. "Come. Walk with me." I easily met his slow pace as we walked through the bio science wing towards the exit.

"I hear you had a physical altercation with a member of my family."

"Your family?" I tried to hide my offended tone with no luck.

"Yes. Here at the institute we are all family. Which is why I cannot have my own parent going around causing harm."

"I'm sorry. Things just got out of hand. I—" He brought up his hand to stop me.

"Don't apologize. Do better. I would like for you to become part of this family, but I think you lack the understanding of what it means to be part of the institute."

"No, I do. Joining you—the institute— it's what I want. Please, have faith in me."

"I'm afraid I cannot place my trust blindly. However, i'm not about to give up on you just yet. There is something i'd like you to do for me."

"Name it."

"I assume you know about the Railroad."

"Yes, yes i've heard of them." I was afraid he had caught on to the shakiness in my voice at the mention of their name, but he did not address it.

"The Railroad takes in rogue synths and sends them off with shiny new faces but what they don't do is keep track of them. Currently there is an escaped synth that has made a name for himself as leader of a group of raiders. Many lives have been lost by his hand, innocent lives."

"That's terrible." I had become engrossed with my son's words but in the back of my head I wondered why the railroad would let something like this happen. They say they stood for what is right but is theft and assault something they condoned?

"Yes, which is why I would like you to put an end to this operation and bring this rogue synth home." As the last words rolled off his tongue we arrived at the door.

"Meet me in my quarters after you get treatment for that wound." He pointed to my arm which I hadn't realized was dripping with blood. Glancing behind me I noticed a trail of dark droplets snaking the edge of the room and leading to the FEV lab.

"I'd like to discuss more details of your mission at Libertalia." And with that he gave me a small grin and left through the door.


	9. Chapter 9

Note 1: (Personal note to all you readers/Update news/News/Apology Stuff)

Hey everybody! So...surprise! This fic is still alive. I'm going to be honest with you. I had a really hard time writing this chapter. My brain straight up refused to write it. And then I kind of lost interest in Fallout. Not that I don't love the game, but I had kind of gotten into another fandom. So when I realized that I still need and want to finish the fic I also realized that I had forgotten what was going on and characterization and things like that. So I tried getting my head back in that world which was extremely difficult. And even when I found the mindset I needed to write, while also having a mindset to write specifically about Fallout, I still had a hard time writing this chapter. I don't think it would become any easier by waiting any longer so I just pushed through. Maybe you'll like this chapter. Personally I don't that much and it's a lot shorter than previous chapters, but it finally clicked in my head that it won't get better. Considering this is a fic and not an actual book or anything I decided it's okay to have a bad chapter. But I just want to apologize to all of you reading. I really appreciate all of you who like it and I do plan on seeing this fic to the end. And I promise to do a better job with updates. It really helps to see the comments from you guys. So forgive me briefly why I try and find my groove again. Alright, Let's do this thing!

POV: Piper

Half-drunk and trying to stop the tears running down my face I didn't notice the heavy footsteps enter the room or the body drop gently next to me. Neither did I notice the slow steady breathing or the hand placed softly on my shoulder. It wasn't until I heard my name that I finally let my eyes flutter into focus.

"Piper?" Again, my name in the form of a question. My name falling from the lips of MacCready's mouth. I looked at him, but didn't say a word.

"Piper, look…I'm sorry I'm here. I know i'm not exactly your favorite person. I'll leave if you want. I had no idea you'd be here. Just, please stop crying. I know it's been years since…us, but I still care about you and I hate seeing you like this" I tried, but I couldn't hold back the laughter that escaped me. Guilt ridden a moment later, I wiped away my tears the best I could before teasingly saying,

"I'm not crying over you, you arrogant ass!" He cracked a smile, flashing his pearly…yellow teeth. He wasn't the worst person in the world. In fact he was far from it, and in that moment i'd take any reprieve I could get.

"There's that smart-aleck wanna-be journalist I know."

"Just journalist actually. Finally opened up shop."

"Hold up. Really? That's amazing! I'll have to read some of your work sometime."

"Wait, you really haven't heard of my paper?" He pursed his lips and squinted as if trying to pull a memory out of thin air.

"What's it called?"

"Publick Occurrences."

"Public…Occurrences."

"Ringing any bells? No? I mean I know it has made its way to Goodneighbor."

"Occurrences. Public. Nnooo-Yes! Actually, yes." He paused for a moment in thought. "You spelled it wrong."

"What?"

"You spelled public wrong. That's why I never read it. I didn't know that was your paper."

"I didn't spell it wrong."

"Yes you did. P-U-B-L-I-C"

"K"

"No, Piper. There's no K."

"Yes there is! I read it somewhere once. That's how I managed to come up with the name."

"So did I! How do you think we learned things back at Little Lamp Light? Pre-war books."

"Okay, this is ridiculous! I'll just ask Blue when he comes back." An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"Blue. That's Nate right?" I gave a slight nod, unwilling to speak any more than necessary. "He'll be alright you know." I forced a small laugh before saying,

"I know that. This is blue were talking about. He can do almost anything except stop me from worrying." MacCready gave a slight chuckle. His hands taking off his cap and running through his hair nervously as he looked for the right words to say.

"Piper, I—" Knowing that his response would be stupid I cut off his speech and his circulation in a tight hug. Our relationship was one that never truly needed words. He tightened his grip ever so slightly, as not to crush me in his arms. We sat there silently the rest of the night. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. In fact it was quite peaceful. When I found myself starting to doze off he nudged me softly and pleaded I go to bed. Nodding as we got up and shuffled to the bed. He helped wrap me in blankets a little too tight like a reporter burrito. He began to leave, but stopped with his hand still resting on the doorknob before saying,

"Goodnight Piper." I gave a small yawn and mumbled something along the lines of 'Night Mac' before loosing myself to oblivion. As far as an ex-boyfriend goes…he was alright.

—

POV: Nate

Gunshots and hand grenades. Over and over I heard the buzz of bullets flying past me, the screams of raiders trying to see my head on a pike. At one point the haunting sounds stopped all together. A grenade just to my left knocking me roughly into the water. At first the the taste of salt threatening to overwhelm me was all my mind could focus on, but then, pulling myself onto a nearby half sunken ship, I noticed the sound of the battle had slipped into a continuous ringing noise. I tried yelling out but I couldn't hear my own voice. Just the ringing of the damn grenade rattling in my ear. Instinctively I tried to grab my left ear but realized I could barely move my arm. A sharp, large, jagged piece of shrapnel was lodged in my shoulder. I laid motionless on the ground as the fighting around me slowly grew louder and louder along with my fears. There were many times I had been frightened in this new world, but this had been the first time my fears had aligned with my old-war terrors. It felt so much like the war. Occasionally I had to remind myself I was at Libertalia not a battlefield. Then again, with so much bloodshed it very well could be one.

Carefully, I pulled the metal shard out slowly from my flesh, blood following swift in its path. Everything after that became a blur. I remember the synth I had been partnered with jam a stimpak into my neck, my shaky hands reloading a gun, several rounds fired off, and a recall code falling from my lips. I remember the guilt of taking a man's life away from him. It wasn't so much killing that bothered me. Killing had become a necessity of this new world. It was stripping away this man's identity, his memories, who he was. It would have been so much easier to kill him. I tried pushing the thought that I just gave him a fate worse than death to the back of my mind. I couldn't let my actions haunt me. Not anymore.

"Shall we return to the institute together, sir?" X6-88 asked with a blank expression. He always held a blank face. He was usually very direct and straightforward and would probably be at the institute now, captured synth in tow, if it wasn't for the lost expression held on my own face. So much had happened in so little time. My brain didn't want to deal with any of it. I couldn't remember how I got to where I was. The only true thing I could recall happening last was lying on my back prepared to die. I had shut down. My instincts had taken over and now I had waken up.

"No."

"Sir?"

"No. That won't be necessary, X6. Tell Father—" I closed my eyes and took two long breaths. "Tell Shaun that I need some time."

"Father will be displeased with this. Are you sure you do not wish to accompany me back? It is not my directive to encourage you towards institute values. That falls to someone else. However, I implore you to reconsider—"

"Someone else? What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid I do not have authorization to explain further." With a sigh and a wave I said,

"That'll be all X6." He nodded before placing his hand on the unconscious synth and relaying back to his home of white walls.

I looted some ammo and caps off a few bodies and then decided to head back to sanctuary on foot. I knew it would be a long trip and I knew that I could easily teleport to the institute and then back to sanctuary, but part of me knew I needed this time to clear my head. This week had been too are on me. The first hour consisted mostly of turning on and off my radio hoping that something new had managed to come on. I had very little encounters on my way back. The only real action being a group of raiders camped out on a pier. By the time I regrettably finished off the last hostile in the area it had become dark. Considering the time I felt I could go on for another hour or so before I risked roaming ferals taking advantage of me, but I was tired. What was the point of continuing and trying to find another abandon camp later or when the raider's fire and shelter was right here.

With some careful consideration I carried each body down from the dock and near the beach. Simultaneously giving them a rather weak memorial service and clearing the camp of dead bodies. The last body I brought down was a man with dirty blonde long hair that he had tied back. He had a large black streak across his eyes. Some sort of warpaint maybe? Several scars were scattered about his face. There was a jagged cut slicing through his eyebrow similar to my own, one on his lower lip reaching half way to his chin, and another straight across his nose which was now covered in blood that had run down from the bullet hole in his skull. The most notable thing about the man was just how young he really was. 20 years old? Maybe younger. And it was I who took away the rest of his life. Me.

There was nothing more at that moment that I wanted than to just forget about the world, forget about everything I had lost, forget about all the shit I'd been going through. I needed a stiff drink or…It was then I noticed a pack of cigarettes slipping out of the young boys pocket. A cigarette sounded pretty good right about then and I had kind of gotten used to it. The last time I had smoked was with Piper and—Piper. She would probably yell at me if she was here, if I picked it up. I gave her such a hard time about quitting. I'd be such a hypocrite to pick up the habit now. After several moments of just staring at the thing I firmly decided that smoking was a terrible idea. Unfortunately I didn't give a fuck about what seemed like a good idea or a bad one. I just wanted to relieve some of the damn tension running through my bones.

"Sorry, buddy," I muttered quietly under my breath and reached for the pack. Flipping the lid I saw that half the pack still remained. Hesitantly I pulled one out and pocketed the rest. Back at the campfire I rummaged around through the supplies they had. I managed to find some raw brahmin meat wrapped up in an old newspaper which I put on the fire. Also I found a bottle of half drunken whiskey. My favorite. I laid back in a creaky old chair as I tried to light my cigarette with the campfire. I went back and forth between smoking and drinking directly out of the bottle as I watched my food cook at an agonizingly slow pace. I let out some smoke into the air, trying (and failing) to make a smoke ring. Finally it felt like a weight was being taken from shoulders after a long time of screaming for help. Shots and wisps of smoke. Those were my friends.

I glanced over at the fire. Barbecuing had been a bit of a hobby for me pre-war. During the summer, when Nora and I would have another couple over, I would always be the one to make steaks for everyone. Not to long or the meat would be overdone and dry. Not to short and it would be risky. I pulled out my knife to try and remove it from the flames without burning myself, but before I could I heard a rustling of movement coming from the distance.

"Who's there?" I quickly dropped my knife and pulled out my gun that was tucked between the waste band of my pants and my back. Another noise, like a body trying to softly step on sand and gravel, came from below the dock before stopping all together. It was as if they froze out of fear.

"Come out. Now!" I was drunk. And I cursed myself for letting my guard down. Now another raider could have come back and easily take me down thanks to my clouded vision.

"I'm unarmed!" A woman's voice shouted. Two hands shot up from below the wall that separated the beach from the pier. I almost laughed at the ridiculousness of her. I hadn't ruled out the possibly of a settler or trader that happened to be wandering about, but I hadn't expected this. You just didn't meet anyone without a weapon, perhaps save children. Her face was still blocked by the wall and all I could see of her were her arms and opened palms facing me in plea of survival. It seemed to good to be true. I hadn't lowered my gun and I didn't plan to without knowing she was indeed not a threat.

"How do I know you're not a raider trying to trick me?"

"You don't." My eyebrows narrowed. That didn't ease my worries. But if she really was a raider wouldn't she have tried to say something more convincing.

"That doesn't really help your case you know?"

"Yea. I know…I didn't really think that through." I raised an eyebrow and let out a laugh through my nose. Who was this girl?

"Do you…Want to try again?" I asked not exactly sure where to go from here.

"Yea! Thank you! Um, how about 'I'm not a raider'?" There was something familiar about her voice. I knew that voice. Subconsciously I shifted my grip on the gun making a slight sound which she heard. "Wait no! Just please don't kill me." She sounded panicked and hysterical. "Pretty please don't kill me?" There was no way she was a raider. Maybe a bit dense or never lived in the wasteland a day in her life, but definitely not a raider. I lowered my gun, but did not put it away.

"Walk up the steps." I ordered. She lowered her hands briefly, but shot them back up in the air when she realized that was a bad idea. "Slowly." I added as I heard the creak of each wooden step. I could make out the smell of something burning in the distance. Shit. I left the brahmin meat cooking. I turned my head slightly back to look at the fire which now held charred bricks.

"Nate?" I whipped my head back almost violently at my name. I had nearly forgotten my current situation. When I finally saw her the first thing I noticed was the overwhelming color of blue covering her legs. A vault suit was zipped down to her waist and she had tied the sleeves around her torso. Probably on account of the warm weather that was usually almost forgotten existed when living in Boston. She wore a white t-shirt that had become torn and dirty. Falling past her shoulders were locks of her dark brown hair which were barely disheveled. Finally, my eyes shifted to her face. Lips I had come to know, lips I had kissed countless times, her cute up-turned nose which had become slightly wrinkled out of her confused expression, and her crystal blue eyes that I could swim in for hours.

"N-Nora?" My head was pounding, my meat was burnt, and now my dead wife just popped in to say hello. I had a feeling I was going to need another drink.

Note 2: (PLEASE READ) Hey! So I hope this chapter wasn't completely bad. And for all of you wondering: No. I do not plan on a MacCready/Piper thing. At least i'm 90% sure. That was just my little idea of a backstory. From the companion switch dialogue it seemed like they knew each other and I wanted to give my own idea why. And yes. MacCready is the guy Piper was talking about from a previous chapter who broke his arm on second base before leaving to join the gunners. I'm probably not going to go into it so i'll just explain now. I fit MacCready temporarily living in Diamond City after everything that happened with his wife and son, but before joining the gunners. He hoped to head to the big city to earn some caps for his son, but it didn't quite pan out. Anyways, I hope you guys stay tuned.


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